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THE  STANITA^D 


Series  of  Pictorial  Histories, 

By  S.   a.   GOODRICH, 
(PETER  PARLEY) 

COMPRISES— 

1.  GOODRICH'S    AMERICAN    CHILD'S    PICTORlM.  WjSTORY    OP 

THE  UNITED  STATES. 

2.  GOODRICH'S  PICTORIAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  ^NfTED  STATES. 

3.  GOODRICH'S  PICTORIAL  HISTORY  OF  ENGI 

4.  GOODRICH'S  PICTORIAli  HISTORY  OF  FRAN^CE." 

5.  GOODRICH'S  PICTORIAL  HISTORY  OF  ROME.        ' 

6.  GOODRICH'S  PICTORIAL ;  HISTORY  OF  GREECE. 

7.  GOODRICH'S  COMMON  SCHOOL  HISTORY  OF  THE  WORLD. 

8.  GOODRICH'S  PICTORIAL  iNATURAL  HISTORY. 

9.  GOODRICH'S  HISTOIRE  UNIVERSELLE. 
10.  GOODRICH'S  HISTOIRE  t)ES  ETATS-UNIS  D'AMERIQUE, 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PUBLISHED  BY   J.  H.  BUTLER  &  CO. 

1878. 


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Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1845,  by 

S.  G.  GOODRICH, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

S.  G.  GOODRICH, 

In  the  Cleric's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of 

New  York. 


5D:iiO'rn..^iiv'  \y^f, 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1871,  by  the 

HEIRS  OF  S.  G.  GOODRICH, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


Westcott  &  Thomson, 

Stereotypera,  Philada. 


Sherman  &.  Co. 

Printers,  Philada. 


XL 


CONTENTS 


CUXPTEtt  PAGK 

I. — Introduction. — Importance  of  the  History  of  England. — Present  state  of 

the  British  Empire 9 

II. — Earliest  glinjpses  of  British  history. — Ceesar,  &c 13 

III. — Invasion  of  Britain  by  the  Romans 15 

IV. — Caractacus.— Tlie  Druids. — London  destroyed. — Boadicea  defeated 17 

V. — Agricola. — The  Scots  and  Picts. — The  Roman  wall. — Christianity  intro- 
duced   19 

VI. — The  Romans  abandon  Britain. — Sufferings  of  the  Britons 21 

VII. — Account  of  the  Saxons 22 

YIII. — The  Language  and  Religion  of  the  Anglo-Saxons.— Names  of  the  days  of 

the  week. — Introduction  of  Cliristianity 24 

IX.— The  Anglo-Saxons. — Their  Historians. — Condition  of  the  people 25 

X. — Laws  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. — Modes  of  trial. — The  Ordeal 26 

XI. — The  kingdom  of  England  established. — The  Danes. — Saxon  race  of  kings. 

—Alfred  the  Great 28 

XII.— More  about  Alfred 30 

XIII.— About  the  architecture  of  the  Anglo-Saxons 33 

XIV.— Of  the  learning  of  the  Anglo-Saxons.— The  Clergy 34 

XV. — Alfred  encourages  the  arts. — About  the  English  navy. — Death  of  Alfred. 

—Reign  of  Edward  the  Elder 35 

XVI.— Adventures  of  Aulaff.— The  Long  Battle.— Athelstan.— His  death 37 

XVII.— Edmund  murdered.— Edred.— St.  Dunstan. 38 

XVIII.— Tlie  Monks  and  the  Secular  Clergy 40 

XIX. — Edgar  the  Peaceable. — Edward  the  Martyr 41 

XX. — p:thelred  II. — Penances. — Indulgences. — The  Butter  Tower 42 

XXI. — Troubles  with  the  Danes. — Peace  made  with  them 44 

XXII. — Massacre  of  the  Danes  in  England,  &c. — Edmund  Ironside. — Canute  con- 
quers England .......^ 45 

XXIII. — Dress  and  amusements  of  the  Anglo-Saxons 46 

XXIV.— Canute  the  Great. — Ilis  rebuke  of  his  courtiers 48 

XXV. — Reigns  of  Harold  Harefoot,  and  of  Hardicanute 50 

XXVI. — Edward  the  Confessor. — Harold. — About  the  Conquest 51 

XXVII. — William  I.,  the  Conqueror. — The  Saxon  nobles  degraded 54 

XXVIII. — Game  Ijaws. — Rebellion  of  Robert. — Domes-day  Book. — Death  of  Wil- 
liam 1 56 

XXIX. — England  after  the  Norman  conquest. — The  English  language 58 

XXX. — The  Feudal  System. — A  Norman  castle 59 

XXXI. — William  Rufus. — The  sons  of  William  the  Conqueror 61 

XXXII.— The  Crusades 62 

XXXIII. — William  obtains  large  territories  by  mortgage. — His  death 64 

XXXIV. — Henry  I.  usurps  the  crown. — Dispute  between  the  Pope  and  the  King,  &c.  66 

XXXV.— Henry.— Edgar  Atheling.— Death  of  Robert 68 

XXXVI.— Melancholy  condition  of  the  king,  &c 69 

X-\.XVII. — Battle  of  Brenneville. — Ancient  armor 70 

XXXVIII. — Death  of  Prince  William,  and  many  young  nobles 71 

XXXIX. — Matilda  marries  Geoffrey  Plantagenet. — Death  of  Henry  I. — Stephen 

usurps  the  crown 73 

XL. — Proceedings  of  Stephen,  &c 74 

XLI. — Matilda  acknowledges  the  queen,  &c. — Peace  restored. — Death  of  Stephen.  76 

Xlill. — Employment  of  the  ladies  in  the  time  of  Henry  II 78 

XLIII. — Pages,  Esquires,  and  Knights 79 

XLIV. — Surnames. — Education  of  Henry  II.,  &c. — About  the  only  Englishman 

that  ever  was  made  pope 81 

XLV. — More  about  Henry  II. — Queen  Eleanor 83 

XLVI. — Thomas  k  Becket. — How  he  lost  his  rich  cloak. 84 

XLVII. — Henry  and  the  clergy. — Death  of  Becket 85 

XLVIII. — Becket  canonized  by  the  Pope,  &c 88 

1*  6 


O  CONTENTS. 

JHAPTER  '  PAGg 

XLIX.— Earl  Strongbow  ^es  over  to  Ireland  to  assist  Dermot  MacmonogL  .— 

The  English  conquer  Ireland 89 

L. — The  sons  of  Henry  rebel 91 

LI.— Penance  of  Henry  II.— Fresh  rebellions  of  bis  sons.— Death  of  H  enry  II.    92 

LII. — Of  Richard  the  Lion-hearted 94 

LIII.— Exploits  of  Richard  in  Palestine '..............    96 

LIV.— Philip  returns  to  Europe.— More  of  Richard's  exploits ..........[..    97 

LV. — Shipwreck  of  Richard,  &c 99 

LVI.— Interdict  and  excommunication.— Richard  returns  to  England...!......"!  101 

LYII. — Death  of  Richard  the  Lion-hearted...^ 103 

LVIII. — John,  surnamed  Lackland IO4 

LIX.— John  quarrels  with  the  pope.— About  the  Jews .'.'."."!....".!!!!  106 

LX.— Magna  Charta  signed.— The  French  invade  England.— Death  of  John..  108 

LXI. — Henry  III. — Coats  of  .arms,  or  Armorial  Bearings Ill 

LXII. — Disturbed  state  of  England. — Of  benevolences 11-2 

LXIII. — The  king  and  pope  vs.  the  churchmen 113 

LXIV.— Simon  de  Blontfort.— The  Mad  Parliament 115 

LXV.— Prince  Edward.— Battle  of  Lewes.— The  "Mise"  of  Lewes 116 

LXVI. — A  change  in  the  constitution  of  Parliament. — Prince  Edward  escapes 

from  imprisonment. — The  barons  snbdued„ II7 

LX VII.— Prince  EdM-ard  goes  on  a  crusade.— Death  of  Henry  III.— About  paint- 
ing and  illuminated  manuscripts 119 

LXVIII. — Architecture. — Trade  and  the  merchants  of  England I'il 

LXIX,— State    of   learning.— Friar    Bacon.— Judicial    Astrology.— Trials    by 

combat 12-2 

LXX. — Edward  I.— Tournaments. — Battle  of  Chalons 124 

JiXXI. — More   about  Edward.— Conquest   of  "Wales. — Massacre  of  the  Welsh 

Bards 125 

LXXII. — The  Maid  of  Norway. — Edward  interferes  in  the  affairs  of  Scottand 128 

LXXIII. — Wallace. — Edward's  vow. — Death  of  Edward ISO 

LXXIV.— Edward  II.— Battle  of  Bannockburn,  Ac 131 

LXXV. — Famines. — Agriculture. — Customs  of  the  time 13.3 

LXXVI. — Edward  II.  receives  Hugh  Spencer  into  favor. — He  is  dethroned  and 

cruelly  murdered  by  Isabella  and  Roger  Mortimer 134 

LXXVII.— Edward  III.— War  with  Scotland,  Ac- Peace  with  Scotland 136 

LXXVIII. — Edward  III.— He  makes  war  on  Scotland.— Claims  the  crown  of  France.  138 
LXXIX.— Edw.^rd  III.  makes  war  upon  Philip,  King  of  France.— Cannon  tised...  140 
LXXX.— Battle  of  Cressy.— Death  of  the  King  of  Bohemia.— Siege  of  Calais.— 

Story  of  Eizstace  de  St.  Pierre 142 

LXXXI.— The  Knights  of  the  Garter.— The  Charter  House  School U4 

LXXXII.— Dress  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III 146 

LXXXIII. — Battle  of  Poictiers. — King  John  of  France  taken  prisoner. — Generous 

conduct  of  the  Black  Prince 147 

LXXXIV. — Honorable  conduct  of  John,  King  of  France. — Death  of  Edward  III. — 

The  English  language  adopted,  <fec 150 

LXXXV.— Richard  II.  succeeds  to  the  throne.— Insurrection  under  Wat  Tyler  and 

Jack  Straw. — The  Templars  and  the  temple .' 152 

LXXXVL— The  insurrection  quelled 154 

LXXXVII. — Character  of  Richard  II. — Chaucer  and  Robert  Langland 156 

LXXXVIII. — Anecdote  illustrating  the  manners  of  the  times 157 

LXXXIX. — The  king  resigns  his  power  to  a  regency. — Death  of  the  Duke  of 

Gloucester 159 

XC. — Trial  by  combat,,  between  the  Dukes  of  Hereford  and  Norfolk,  &c 160 

XCI. — Henry  of  Lancaster  returns  to  England  and  compels  Richard  II.  to 

resign  the  crown. — Death  of  Richard 162 

XCIL— Account  of  John  Wicklifife 163 

XCIII. — Henry  IV.  keeps  the  throne. — Owen  Glendower 165 

XCIV. — Several  rebellions  against  Henry  IV.,  &c 167 

XCV. — Henrv  seizes  the  young  Prince  of  Scotland. — Character  of  James  I.  of 

Scotland 168 

XCVI. — Anecdotes  of  Prince  Henry. — Death  of  Henry  IV 169 

XCVII. — Prince  Henry  and  the  Lollard. — Dress  of  the  ladies 171 

XCVIII. — Henry  V. — Persecution  of  the  Lollards. — Lord  Cobhara 172 

XCIX.— Henry  V.  invades  France,  &c 173 

C. — Henry  again  invades  France,  Ac. — His  death 176 

CI. — Domestic  habits  of  the  English  in  the  Fifteenth  Century 178 

CII.— Domestic  habits,  continued.— State  of  learning. — Whittington  Lord 

Mayor 179 

CIIL— Joan  of  Arc,  the  Maid  of  Orleans 181 

CIV.— Henry  VI.,  &c.— Murder  of  the  Duke  of  Gloucester 18^ 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTEB  PiSI 

CV.. — The  Duke  of  York  forms  a  design  to  claim  the  crown, — Insurrection  of 

Jack  Cade 186 

CVI. — Battle  of  St.  Albans. — The  Duke  of  York  claims  the  crown. — Warwick, 

the  king-maker 188 

CVII. — Continuation  of  the  war  between  the  Two  Roses.— Death  of  the  Duke 

of  York. — His  son  proclaimed  king  by  the  title  of  Edward  IV 189 

CVIII. — Edward  IV. — The  civil  war  continues 192 

CIX.— Marriage  of   King  Edward  IV. — Battle  of  Barnet. — Death  of  War- 
wick, &c 195 

ex.— Edward  IV.  is  outwitted  by  Louis  of  France.. 198 

CXI.— Invention  of  the  art  of  printing 200 

CXII. — Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  seizes  upon  the  young  king,  Edward  V...  202 

CXIIL— Richard  III.  usurps  the  crown,  &c 203 

CXIV. — A  plot  for  placing  Henry  Tudor  on  the  throne 207 

CXV.— Battle  of  Bos  worth-field.— Death  of  Richard  III 208 

CXVI. — Amusements. — Christmas. — Dress 210 

CXVII. — End  of  the  line  of  Plantagenet,  &c — Rise  of  the  commons 213 

CXVIII.— Henry  VII.— Lambert  Simnel.— Death  of  Lord  Lovel 215 

CXIX. — A  new  impostor.^Adventures  of  Perkin  Warbeck 217 

CXX.— Conclusion  of  the  story  of  Perkin  Warbeck,  &c 218 

OXXI. — Architecture  of  Henry  VII.'s  time. — Discoveries... 220 

CXXII.— Death  of  Henry  VII.— The  Star  Chamber 223 

CXXIII.— Henry  VIII.— Rise  of  Wolsey 224 

CXXIV.— More  about  Cardinal  Wolsey 227 

CXXV.— Henry  invades  France.— Battle  of  the  Spurs.— Battle  of  Flodden  Field. 

—Charles  V.  visits  England 228 

CXXVI. — Henry  VIII.  and   Anne    Boleyn. — Thomas  Cranmer. — Disgrace  and 

death  of  Wolsey 230 

CXXVII. — Henry  VIII.  marries  Anne  Boleyn. — Sir  Thomas  More. — Death  of  Anne 

Boleyn ^ 233 

CXXVIII.— Thomas  Cromwell.— The  king's  marriages... 236 

CXXIX. — Henry  VIII.  very  zealous  against  heretics 237 

CXXX. — The  Bible  translated  into  English. — Ignorance  of  the  people 238 

CXXXI.— War  betM'een  England  and  Scotland.— Death  of  Henry  VIII 240 

CXXXII.— Anecdotes  of  Henry  VIII.,  &c 242 

CXXXIII. — The  Duke  of  Somerset  appointed  Protector. — Religious  matters 244 

CXXXIV.— Edward  and  Mary,  &c.— Dudley 246 

CXXXV. — Suppression  of  the  religious  houses. — Warwick  rules  the  country 247 

CXXXVI. — The  religious  houses. — Fashions  of  dress,  &c 248 

CXXXVII.— I«ady  Jane  Grey,  &c 250 

CXXXVIII.— The  manners  of  Queen  Mary's  time. — The  houses  of  the  nobles. — Some 

particulars  of  the  mode  of  house-keeping 253 

CXXXIX.— Manners  of  the  English.— Commerce 255 

CXL. — Queen  Mary,  &c. — Execution  of  Lady  Jane  Grey 257 

CXLL— Persecution  of  the  Protestants 260 

CXLII.— War  with  France.— Battle  of  St.  Quentin.— The  English  lose  Calais.— 

Death  of  Mary 262 

CXLIII. — Elizabeth  proclaimed  queen. — The  Reformed  faith  restored. — Prosper- 
ous state  of  the  kingdom 263 

CXLIV.— Elizabeth's  court.— Robert  Dudley 265 

CXLV.— Elizabeth's  costume.— The  Queen  of  Scots 266 

CXLVL— Continuation  of  the  Story  of  Mary 268 

CXLVIL— Continuation  of  the  Story  of  Mary 269 

CXLVIII. — Elizabeth  detains  Mary  as  a  prisoner,  &c 271 

CXLIX. — A  new  plot  in  favor  of  Mary  is  detected. — Mary  is  put  to  death 273 

CL. — The  Invincible  Armada. — Elizabeth  and  her  subjects 275 

CLI.— Sir  Walter  Raleigh.— Virginia  settled.- The  Earl  of  Essex 277 

CLII.— Dress  in  the  time  of  Elizabeth 279 

CLIII. — Queen  Elizabeth's  progresses,  &c 280 

CLIV.— Death  of  Lord  Burleigh.— Lord  Essex  and  Elizabeth 282 

CLV.— Execution  of  Essex.— Death  of  Elizabeth 283 

CLVI. — Character  and  anecdotes  of  Elizabeth. — Spenser. 286 

CLVII. — James  I.  and  his  court. — Sir  Walter  Raleigh  introduces  tobacco  and 

potatoes 286 

CLVIII. — Conspiracy   to  place    Arabella  Stuart    on    the    throne. — Sir  Walter 

Raleigh 288 

CLIX.— The  Gunpowder  Plot 290 

CLX. — Prince  Henry. — Condition  of  the  people,  &c 293 

CLXI.— Anecdotes  of  James  I.— The  Bible  translated.— Coaches  introduced 296 

CLXII.— The  Earl  of  Somerset  and  Duke  of  Buckingham.— Death  of  James  I...  298 


8  CX)NTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAOB 

CLXIII.— Lord  Bacon.— Lord  Napier.— Sir  Edward  Coke.— The  Puritans 298 

CLXIV.— Charles  I.— Murder  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham 300 

CLXV.— Wentworth,  Earl  of  Strafford.— The  Scotch  covenanters 303 

CLXVL— Distress  of  the  king.— Death  of  Strafford 305 

CLXVII. — Dress  of  the  cavaliers  and  puritans. — Costume  of  the  ladies,  Ac 30€ 

CLXVIII. — Hampden. — Pym. — Sir  Henry  Vane. — Commencement  of  hostilities. 

Battles  of  Edgehill,  and  of  Marston  Moor,  &c 308 

CLXIX.— Oliver  Cromwell 311 

CLXX.— The  Battle  of  Naseby,  &c 313 

CLXXI. — Cromwell  discovers  the  insincerity  of  the  king.— The  latter  attempts 

to  escape,  but  is  detained  in  the  Isle  of  Wight 316 

CLXXII. — Charles  it  tried  for  high  treason. — His  execution 318 

CLXXIII. — Anecdotes  of  Charles  I.,  &c. — The  sect  of  Quakers  rises 322 

CLXXIV.— England  a  Commonwealth,  &c 324 

CLXXV. — Adventures  of  Charles  alter  the  battle  of  Worcester 326 

CLXXVI. — Success  of  the  English  in  a  war  with  Holland. — Cromwell  makes  him- 
self niler 328 

CLXXVIL— Cromwell  made  protector,  &c 331 

CLXXVIII.— Richard  Cromwell  proclaimed  protector,  &c. — Charles  II.  proclaimed 

king 334 

CLXXIX. — Milton.— Andrew  Marvell. — Algernon  Sydney. — James  Harrington....  337 

CLXXX.— Character  of  Charles  II.,  &c 339 

CLXXXI. — Great  plaenie  in  London,  followed  by  a  great  fire. — Great  improve- 
ments in  London. — Sir  Matthew  Hale  and  Sir  Christopher  Wren.  341 
CLXXXII. — Charles  sacrifices  the  Earl  of  Clarendon. — The  king  a  pensioner  of 

France,  <fcc 344 

CLXXXIII.— The  terms  Whig  and  Tory.— Death  of  Russell  and  Sydney.— Death  of 

Charles  II 347 

CLXXXIV.— Poets  and  Philosophers  of  the  time  of  Charles  II 349 

CLXXXV.— James  II.— Maria  d'Este.— General  Dalziell,  &c 351 

CLXXXVI. — James  II.  seeks  to  restore  popery. — Cruelties  practised  by  Jeffries  and 

Kirk. — Rash  conduct  of  James. — James  flies  to  France 353 

CLXXXVII.— The  Revolution  of  1688.- William  and  Mary  called  to  the  throne 356 

(5LXXXVIII. — The  Uighlandex-s  refuse  to  acknowledge  William  and  Mary. — Massacre 

of  Glencoe. — Death  of  James  II 358 

CLXXXIX.— Peace  of  Ryswick.- Death  of  Mary;  of  William 360 

CXC. — Style  of  living  and  manners. — Arms  and  dross  of  the  soldiers 362 

CXCI.— Queen  Anne.— The  Duke  of  Marlborough.— Battle  of  Blenheim 364 

CXCII. — Gibraltar  taken  from  the  Spaniards. — Sir  Cloudesley  Shovel. — Robin- 
son Crusoe 366 

CXCm. — Marlborough's  victorious  Career. — Peace  of  Utrecht. — Death  of  Anne. 

— Union  between  Scotland  and  England 368 

CXCIV. — Great  men  of  Queen  Anne's  time. — Newton. — Locke. — Clarke. — Pope. 

—Adaison.-Swift.— Watts 370 

CXCV.— George  1.— Rebellion  in  Scotland 372 

CXCVI. — Of  the    rising   in  England.  — The    South-Sea    scheme.  — Death   of 

George  1 374 

CXCVII. — George  II. — Queen  Caroline. — War  on  the  Continent. — Battle  of  Fon- 

tenoy. — Anson's  voyage  round  the  world 377 

CXCVIII. — ^The  young  Pretender  lands  in  Scotland,  and  marches  into  England. — 

Is  compelled  to  retreat 379 

CXCIX. — The  Pretender  is  victorious  at  Falkirk,  but  defeated  at  Culloden. — 

Adv<^ntures  of  Prince  Charles  Edward 381 

CO.- The  style  of  dress  in  George  II.'s  time.— Old  style  and  new  style 384 

CCI. — The  Seven  Years'  War. — General  Washington. — Capture  of  Quebec, 

and  death  of  Wolfe.— Death  of  George  II.— Sir  Robert  Walpole...  387 
ecu. — George  III. — Political  contests. — John  Wilkes. — Passage  of  the  Stamp 

Act 389 

CCIII. — Death  of  the  Earl  of  Chatham. — Mobs  in  London. — British  generosity. 

— Poace  of  Versailles 391 

CCIV.— The  writers  and  poets  of  the  reign  of  George  II.. 394 

GOV. — Attempts  to  murder  the  king. — The  younger  Pitt. — Duties  of  the 

king's  ministers 397 

CCVI. — The  Fren-^h  Revolution  breaks  out. — War  between  France  and  Eng- 
land   400 

CCVII. — Gloomy  state  of  afiairs  in  1797. — The  Bank  of  England  suspends  pay- 
ment     402 

COVni. — Bona;)arte  returns  to  France. — He  leads  his  army  over  the  Alps,  and 
defeats  the  Austrians  in  Italy. — Expedition  against  Copenhagen 
under  Lord  Nelson 401 


CONTENTS.  ¥ 

:hapter  paok 

CCIX. — Peace  of  Amiens. — Hostilities  renewed  between  France  and  England. — 
Battle  of  Trafalgar.— Death  of  Lord  Nelson. — Condition  of  Europe 

in  1808 406 

CCX.— Sir  Arthur  Wellesley  sent  into  Spain.— Death  of  Sir  John  Moore. — The 

Walohcren  expedition. — The  Cabinet,  &c 407 

COXL— War  with  the  United  States.— War  in  the  peninsula,  where  Lord  Welling- 
ton commands  the  British.— Expedition  of  Napoleon  into  Russia.— 
Napoleon  sent  to  Elba. — Returns  to  France  and  recovers  his  power 

there.— Battle  of  Waterloo,  &c.. 409 

CCXII. — The  national  debt. — Hargraves  and  Arkwright. — Watt  and  the  steam 

engine 413 

CCXIII.— Lord  Exmouth's  expedition  to  Algiers. — The  African  slave  trade. — John 

Howard 415 

CCXIV. — Death  of  George  III. — The  authors  who  flourished  in  the  latter  part  of  his 

reign 416 

CCXV.— George  IV.— His  character  and  habits,  &c 421 

CCXVI.— The  queen  returns  to  England. — The  king  refuses  to  acknowledge  her  as 

queen 424 

CCXVII. — Coronation  of  George  IV.— Death  of  the  queen 426 

CCXVIII.— The  king  visits  Ireland  and  Scotland.— A  Highlander's  dress 428 

CCXIX. — A  year  of  projects. — The  coinage  of  England 429 

CCXX. — The  coinage  of  England,  continued 431 

CCXXI. — The  Princess  Charlotte  marries  Leopold  of  Saxe-Cobnrg. — Her  death. — 

Lord  Liverpool. — Catholic  Emancipation  and  Reform 433 

CCXXIL— Reform  in  the  House  of  Commons.— History  of  that  body 435 

CCXXIII.— Great  change  in  the  habits  of  George  IV. — His  death. — Improvement  in 

London,  &c 437 

COXXIV.— William  IV.— The  Reform  Bill.— Great  riots.— The  cholera 439 

COXXV. — Reform  in  the  House  of  Commons. — Death  of  William  TV. — Accession  of 
Victoria. — Her  marriage. — Recent  important  f^r-ents. — Character  of 

the  English 441 

CCXXVI. — The  Crimean  War. — English  view  of  the  civil  war  in  America. — Marriage 

of  the  Prince  of  Wales 444 

C<^'XXVIL — The  Atlantic  Cable. — Expedition  against  Abyssinia. — Disendowmeut  f^f 

the  Irish  Church. — The  Alabama  affair. — The  Fisheries. — Conclusio.i    446 


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m.  38. 


MARRIOTT'S   AEROPLANE    COMPANY, 

For    NaviiratlusT    tbe    Air. 

OfiSce  of  the  Aeroplane  Company  for  Navigating  the  Air,  609 
chant  street.     Office  hours  from  1  to  2  p.m. 


Mer- 


Orders  for  Engraviugr  in  tlie  Ptaoto-Eng-raTing:  Process  cau 
now  be  executed  at  the  '^News  liCtter"  Office  lor  less  tban 
balf  tbe  cost  of  Wood  Engraviagr,  and  in  one-balf  tbe  time. 
Uemember,  we  f  uruisb  a  bard  metal  Electrotype  ready  for 
tbe  Press. 


The  liquidation  of  Overend,  Gurney  &  Co.  is  not  yet  completed. 
Since  the  failure — in  May,  1866 — as  much  as  £6,317,929  has  been  paid 
away  by  the  liquidators.  Of  this  sum  £4,287,702  was  paid  to  creditors, 
that  part  of  the  business  being  practically  completed  in  1870.  Then  be- 
jjan  a  return  to  solvent  shareholders,  who  have  received  £453,964  since 
1871.  Salaries  have  been  continuously  paid  to  part  of  the  old  staff,  and 
as  much  aa  £47,138  has  been  disbursed  in  law  expenses.  The  liquidators 
now  hold  out  a  hope  of  speedily  concluding  the  winding-up  and  dissolu- 
tion of  this  unlucky  company. 


We  have  received  numerous  requests  from  lady  friends  to  re-publish 
the  remarks  made  by  Mr.  Edward  Curtis,  at  the  dinner  recently  given 
by  the  publishers  of  the  Sacramento  Bee,  in  response  to  the  toast,  "The 
Ladies,  God  Bless  Them."  Mr.  Curtis'  remarks  were  so  extended  that 
we  fear  we  will  not  be  able  to  accommodate  them  all.  However,  next 
week  the  News  Letter  will  repi-oduce  some  extracts  from  Mr.  Curtis' 
utterances.  

Californians  Abroad.— Rome,  Italy:  Misses  and  Mrs.  S.  W.  Glu- 
zier.  Miss  Houston,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Maynard,  Mrs.  Rosenstock.  Parts, 
France:  Mrs.  Dussol,  Hotel  Dominici;  Thomas  Fisher,  Hotel  de  I'Ath- 
enee;  Miss  Haste,  H.  PI.  Pal.  Royal.  Dresden,  Germany:  Miss  and 
Mrs.  E.  Dimon,  Mrs.  A.  Patten  and  family,  Mrs.  E.  Pillsbury.  Lon- 
don, England:  J.  Logan,  Holborn  Viaduct  H. — Continental  Gazette, 
March  11th. 

The  Weather.— From  the  Signal  Service  Bureau  we  have  the  follow- 
ing report  for  the  week  ending  last  Thursday:  On  the  24th  the  highest 
and  lowest  temperature  was  69  deg.  5  min.  and  51  deg.  5  min. ;  on  the 
25th,  71  deg.  and  53  deg.;  on  the  26th,  73  deg.  and  57  deg.;  on  the  27th, 
73  deg.  and  52  deg.;  on  the  28th,  64  deg.  5  min.  and  50  deg.;  on  the  29th, 
68  deg.  5  min.  and  54  deg. ;  on  the  30th,  61  deg.  5  min.  and  51  deg.  5  min. 

Telegrams  report  that  the  Spanish  troops  have  taken  possession  of 
the  Tawi-Tawi  Islands,  which  are  about  thirty  miles  from  the  N.N.E. 
coast  of  the  British  North  Borneo  Company's  territory.  It  is  presumed, 
therefore,  that  they  have  left  the  company's  territory,  where  they  had 
landed  some  time  since. 


12  «  INTRODUCTION. " 

of  the  globe,  its  inhabitants  presenting  an  aspect  as  revolting  as  that 
of  its  cold  and  foggy  climate.'  ^ 

4.  At  the  present  «iay,  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland  exhibits  the  most  extraordinary  spectacle  of  national  glory 
which  the , world  has^^^eV/^yiln^ssed.  Kome,  in  her  brightest  days, 
could  not  c'oihpare  \VTth*it',*in  point  of  wealth,  power,  and  civilization. 

5.  ,Tq  file  ey-e,  of.thG  traveilei','  the  three  kingdoms  seem  almost 
Iike4i'mi|^jitj^;gaid^n*,[slrpwn'/5y6>5c^ith  cities,  palaces,  villages,  and 
couhtry-seais.  '  Here  'are  *tVe  iinest  roads,  and  the  best  travelling 
vehicles  in  the  world ;  railroads  and  canals  cross  the  country  in 
every  direction ;  arts  and  manufactures  are  carried  to  the  highest 
degree  of  perfection ;  and  commerce  brings  hither  the  luxuries  of 
every  clime. 

6.  London,  the  metropolis  of  Great  Britain,  serves  to  indicate  the 
character  of  the  nation.  It  has  more  than  3,000,000  of  people,  and 
surpasses  any  other  city  in  wealth  and  population.  The  govern- 
ment of  England  exercises  a  commanding  influence,  not  only  in  the 
countries  of  Europe,  but  upon  the  fortunes  of  the  world.  Within 
our  own  day,  China,  which  has  more  than  one-quarter  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  globe,  has  been  compelled  to  bow  to  the  will  of  this 
Island  Empire. 

7.  The  colonies  of  Great  Britain  extend  over  the  whole  globe, 
and  contain  a  population  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  millions.  Ir 
allusion  to  the  immense  extent  and  power  of  the  British  Empire,  i1 
has  been  spoken  of  l3y  a  celebrated  orator,  as  a  kingdom  that  "  has 
dotted  the  surface  of  the  globe  with  her  possessions  and  military 
posts,  whose  morning  drum-beat,  following  the  sun,  and  keeping 
company  with  the  hours,  circles  the  earth  daily  with  one  continuous 
and  unbroken  strain  of  the  martial  airs  of  England."  It  is  the 
history  of  this  great  people,  which  we  are  now  about  to  consider. 

this  history  interesting  to  the  philosopher  ?  4.  What  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland  at  the  present  day?  5.  What  do  the  three  kingdoms  present  to  the 
■eye  of  the  traveller?  What  of  trade,  &c.?  6.  What  of  London?  Population  of  Great 
Britain?  The  government?  China?  7.  The  colonies  of  Great  Britain?  What  has  a 
celebrated  orator  said? 


LONDON. 


EARLY    BKITISH    HISTORY. 


13 


CHAPTER  II. 

Earliest  Glimpses  of  British  History. —  CcBsar. — Manners  and  Customs 
of  the  first  Inhabitants  of  Britain. 


1.  We  must  now  turn  from  this  brief  survey  of  the  present  con- 
dition of  the  British  Empire,  and  go  back  to  the  earliest  times  of 
which  history  gives  us  any  account. 

2.  Several  hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era,  it  appears  that 
the  Phoenicians  visited  England.  Their  chief  object  was  to  obtain 
tin,  which  was  procured  from  the  mines  of  Cornwall.  Hence  the 
Casterides,  or  Tin  Isles,  was  the  ancient  designation  of  the  British 
islands.  Settlements  are  supposed  to  have  been  made  by  the  Phoe- 
nicians in  Ireland,  and  it  is  conjectured  that  considerable  trade  was 
carried  on  with  the  people  there. 

3.  The  original  inhabitants  of  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland  seem 
to  have  been  of  the  same  Celtic  stock  which  first  peopled  France  and 
Spain,  though  theywere  divided  into  numerous  tribes.  The  Roman 
writers  mention  the  names  of  more  than  forty  in  England. 

4.  Some  of  these  were  more  savage  than  others.  A  few  among 
the  southern  tribes  practised  agriculture  in  a  rude  fashion,  and  wore 
artificial  cloths  for  dress.  They  had  also  war-chariots  in  great  num- 
bers, and  were  acquainted  with  some  of  the  first  arts  of  civilized 

II. — 1.  What  of  the  Phoenicians?  2,  What  name  did  they  give  tl)o  British  Tpies' 
3.  What  of  the  original   inhabitants  of  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland?    4.  M»o»-"!r« 

2 


14  MANNERS   AND    CUSTOMS   OF   THE   BRITONS. 

life.  To  the  north,  the  people  were  mere  savages — using  the  un- 
dressed hides  of  cattle  for  clothing,  and  tattooing  their  skins  for 
ornament. 

5.  The  women,  like  those  of  our  present  savages,  were  practised 
to  basket-making,  the  material  being  the  twigs  of  willows.  They 
also  sewed  together  the  skins  of  animals  for  dress;  their  thread 
being  made  of  leather  or  vegetable  fibres,  and  their  needles  of 
pieces  of  bone.  ^ 

6.  Such  was  the  condition  of  the  people,  when  Julius  Caesar, 
liaving  completed  the  subjugation  of  Gaul,  now  called  France, 
began  to  think  of  adding  the  island  of  Britain  to  his  conquests. 
The  white  chalk  cliffs  of  Dover,  from  which  Britain  had  also  the 
name  of  Albion,  could  be  seen  from  the  coast  of  Gaul,  and  as 
Caesar's  ambition  knew  no  bounds,  he  doubtless  thought  that  this 
strange  country  invited  him  to  its  conquest. 

7.  Having  made  up  his  mind  to  undertake  an  expedition  against 
it,  he  assembled  the  merchants  who  had  traded  to  Britain  for  hides 
and  tin,  and  made  inquiry  respecting  the  manners,  customs,  and 

Eower  of  the  people  of  that  island,  and  such  other  matters  as  would 
e  interesting  to  him  in  his  present  situation. 

8.  The  precise  answer  which  the  merchants  gave  to  these  ques- 
tions is  not  recorded.  Neither  the  people  of  Gaul  nor  of  Britain 
could  write,  nor  had  they  any  books.  Csesar  himself,  who  was  an 
author,  as  well  as  a  soldier,  has  told  us  almost  all  that  we  know 
about  them.  It  appears,  however,  that  the  reply  of  the  merchants 
of  whom  he  made  inquiries,  was  substantially  as  follows : 

9.  "The  people  of  Britain  have  blue  eyes,  and  very  fair  com- 
plexions. They  are  tall  and  stout,  and  remarkable  for  their 
strength.  Their  bodies  are  often  ornamented  with  figures  of  various 
animals.  For  this  purpose  they  submit  to  a  very  painful  opera- 
tion. The  figure  is  pricked  upon  the  skin  with  sharp  needles,  and 
then  a  blue  dye,  made  of  a  plant  called  woad,  is  rubbed  in. 

10.  "  Most  of  them  wear  no  clothing  except  the  skin  of  an  animal 
which  is  thrown  over  the  shoulders,  and  fastened  at  the  breast  by  a 
thorn  or  a  sharp-pointed  stick.  Many  of  them  have  flocks  and 
herds,  and  live  upon  meat,  or  on  such  fruits  and  plants  as  the  earth 
produces  without  cultivation. 

11.  "The  principal  drink  is  milk,  but  they  have  also  a  fermented 
liquor  prepared  from  honey,  and  called  mead,  of  which  they  are 
very  fond.  They  live  in  winter  in  holes  in  the  ground,  and  in 
summer  in  huts  made  of  stakes  stuck  in  the  earth,  interwoven  with 
osiers,  and  covered  with  the  boughs  of  trees. 

12.  "  They  are  a  very  hospitable  people.  The  stranger  no  sooner 
enters  the  door  than  water  is  presented  to  him  to  wash  his  feet. 
If  he  uses  it,  and  at  the  same  time  gives  his  arms  to  the  master  of 
the  house,  it  is  understood  that  he  means  to  pass  the  night.  This 
creates  joy  throughout  the  family. 


of  the  people  ?  5.  What  of  the  women  ?  6.  Why  was  England  called  Albion  ?  Wh»{ 
of  Caesar?  7.  What  did  he  do?  8.  To  whom  are  we  chiefly  indebted  for  our  knowledge 
of  the  early  Britons?    9.  What  of  their  persons?    10.  Clothing?     Food?    11.  Drink? 


INVASION    OF    BRITAIN    BY   THE    ROMANS.  15 

13.  "  A  feast  is  prepared.  The  company  sit  in  a  circle  upon  the 
ground,  with  a  little  hay,  grass,  or  the  skins  of  animals,  spread 
under  them.  Each  person  takes  the  meat  set  before  Wm  in  his 
hands,  and  tears  it  to  pieces  with  his  teeth.  If  it  proves  too  tough 
for  this,  he  uses  the  knife  which  is  placed  in  the  centre  for  the  com- 
mon benefit.  The  meat  is  served  up  in  dishes  made  of  wood,  or 
earthenware,  or  in  baskets  made  of  osiers. 

14.  "  The  feast  is  enlivened  by  the  music  of  the  harp.  Some- 
times the  great  men  give  feasts,  and  he  is  the  most  popular  who 
gives  the  greatest.  These  last  until  all  the  provisions  are  con- 
sumed, frequently  for  several  days.  A  great  prince  once  gave  an 
entertainment,  which  was  kept  up  without  interruption  for  a  whole 
year,  and  to  which  all  comers  were  welcome. 

15.  "  But  you  Eomans  are  more  interested  in  knowing  what  are 
their  weapons  of  war,  and  means  of  defence.  They  use  a  shield,  and 
a  dagger,  and  a  short  spear ;  to  the  lower  end  of  the  latter  is  fastened 
a  bell,  which  they  shake  to  frighten  the  horses  of  their  enemies.  In 
battle  they  make  use  of  chariots  with  scythes  fastened  to  the  axle- 
trees  ;  they  are  drawn  by  two  horses,  and  driven  furiously  among 
their  enemies,  inflicting  horrible  wounds,  whilst  the  warrior  hurls  his 
spears."  Such  was  the  information  Caesar  obtained,  and  it  gave  a 
true  account  of  the  condition  of  the  original  inhabitants  of  Britain. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Invasion  of  Britain  by  the  Romans. 

1.  We  may  suppose  that  Caesar  had  little  dread  of  meeting  such 
a  savage  people  as  the  Britons  would  seem  to  have  been,  with  his 
well-disciplined  troops.  He  probably  learnt,  too,  that  the  people 
were  divided  into  many  small  tribes,  governed  by  independent 
rulers,  who  did  not  agree  very  well  among  themselves. 

2.  He  embarked  his  troops  at  Calais,  and  in  a  few  hours  reached 
the  coast  of  Britain,  near  Dover.  Sailing  to  the  north  about  eight 
miles,  he  determined  to  land  near  Deal.  The  Britons  had  heard 
of  his  coming,  and  were  q^sembled  to  prevent  his  landing.  Their 
painted  bodies  gave  them  a  most  terrific  appearance,  and  their 
eavage  yells  made  even  the  Romans  hesitate  to  attack  them. 

3.  At  last  a  standard-bearer  jumped  into  the  sea,  and  advanced 
with  the  eagle,  which  was  the  Roman  standard,  towards  the  enemy, 
crying  aloud,  "Follow  me,  soldiers,  unless  you  will  betray  the 
Roman  eagle  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  I,  at  least,  will  dis- 
charge my  duty  to  Caesar  and  to  my  country." 


Houses?    12.  Hospitality?    13.  The  feast?    14.  Music?    Feasts  given  by  great  men? 
15.  Weapons  of  war? 

III. — I.  What  of  the  government  of  Britain?    2.  Where  did  Caesar  land?    What  of  his 
troops?    o.  What  roused  the  spirit  of  the  troops?     4.  What  success  had  Caesar?    b, 


16 


INVASION    OF    BRITAIN    BY    THE    ROMANS. 


4.  Animated  by  this  speech,  and  excited  by  his  example,  the  sol- 
diers plunged  into  the  sea,  and  waded  to  the  land,  in  spite  of  all  the 
Britons  could  do.  Caesar  remained  about  three  weeks  upon  the 
island,  during  which  he  gained  many  battles.  He  then  granted  a 
peace  to  tlie  Britons,  upon  condition  that  they  should  pay  tribute 
to  the  Roman  people. 


•  THE  ROMANS   IN  ENGI.AND. 

5.  The  Britons  neglected  to  perform  their  engagements,  and  in 
the  year  54.  B.C..  r!?psnr  no-ain  invaded  the  island.  Landing,  as 
before,  at  Deal,  he  advanced  into  the  country.  The  Britons  had 
tiow  united  their  forces  under  one  chief,  named  Cassivelaugjis. 
Still  they  were  defeated  in  eveiy  battle.  "'"' 

6.  Having  brought  the  people  to  submission,  and  compelled  them 
to  give  him  many  of  their  chief  men  as  hostages — that  is,  security 
for  the  performance  of  their  engagements — Caesar  returned  to  Rome. 

7.  As  no  troops  were  left  in  Britain  to  maintain  the  authority  of 
Rome,  the  Britons  soon  threw  off  all  marks  of  subjection,  and  the 
tribute  remained  vinpaid.  The  civil  dissensions  among  the  Romans 
themselves,  long  prevented  their  taking  any  measures  to  compel  the 
payment.  • 

8.  An  intercourse  was,  however,  kept  up  with  Rome.  Many  of 
the  chief  persons  of  Britain  visited  that  city,  and  some  of  the  young 
men  were  educated  there.  By  this  means  the  Britons  began  to  im- 
prove in  their  manners  and  habits. 

9.  The  mantle  of  skins  was  replaced  by  one  of  cloth,  and  close 
trowsers  were  introduced.  They  likewise  adopted  a  vest,  a  tunic, 
fitting  tight  to  the  body  and  reaching  just  below  the  waist.     Their 


When  did  Caesar  return  to  Britain?  The  result?  7.  What  of  the  obedience  of  the 
Britons?  8.  What  effect  had  their  intercourse  with  Rome?  9.  What  change  in  dress? 
10.  Wha*  of  their  money  '    11.  Their  vessels? 


INVASION    OF    BRITAIN    BY   THE    ROMANS. 


17 


shoes  were  still  made  of  the  skin  of  some  animal,  with  the  hair  out- 

10.  Thev  also  began  to  coin  money.  For  some  ages  the  trade  of 
Britain  had  been  carried  on  by  barter  or  exchange.  When  metals 
were  first  used  as  money,  their  value  was  determined  by  weight. 
The  seller  having  agreed  to  accept  a  certain  quantity  of  gold  or  sil- 
ver for  his  goods,  the  buyer  cut  off  that  quantity  from  the  piece  of 
that  metal  in  his  possession,  and,  having  weighed  it,  delivered  it  to 
the  seller,  and  received  the  goods. 

11.  The  invasion  of  the  Romans  had  made  the  Britons  acquainted 
with  the  use  of  tools ;  and  stout  galleys  took  the  place  of  the  frail 
boats  made  of  osiers  and  the  flexible  branches  of  trees,  covered  with 
skins  of  oxen,  in  which  they  had  hitherto  navigated  the  stormy  seas 
around  their  islands. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Caractacus. —  The  Druids^ — London  destroyed. — Boadicea  defeated. 


CARACTACUS  A  PKISONKR  AT  ROME. 


1.  At  length,  in  the  year  43  after  the  birth  of  Christ,  being  97 
years  from  the  first  invasion"Ty  Caesar,  the  Romans  determined  to 
make  another  attempt  to  conquer  Britain.  An  army  of  50,000  men 
was  collected  and  sent  into  the  island,  under  the  command  of  Aulug. 
Plautius. 

2.  The  Britons  fought  bravely  for  their  liberty,  but  could  not 


IV.— 1.  When  was  the  third  Ronmn  invasion  of  Britain?    2.  Who  commanded  the 
2* 


18 


THE   DRUIDS. 


withstand  the  Roman  discipline.  Their  principal  chief,  named 
Caractacus,  and  his  family,  were  taken  prisoners.  They  were  all 
sent  to  Rome,  and  the  king,  his  wife,  and  his  two  daughters,  were 
made  to  walk  through  the  streets  loaded  with  chains. 

3.  Observing  the  splendor  of  the  great  city,  Qaxaciaciis  could  not 
forbear  exclaiming,  "  Alas !  how  is  it  possible  that  people  possessed 
of  such  magnificence  at  home,  should  envy  me  my  humble  cottage 
in  Britain  ?" 

4.  Notwithstanding  their  victories,  the  Romans  made  little  prog- 
ress in  the  conquest  of  the  island.  Suetonius  P;ini1inng  one  of  their 
most  skilful  generals,  resolved  to  adopt  a  new  method.  He  observed 
that  the  Druids  were  the  most  inveterate  enemies  of  the  Romans,  and 
that  it  was  their  influence  which  kept  up  the  spirit  of  the  people. 


A  DRUID  ADDRESSING  THK  PEOPLE. 


5.  The  Druids  were  the  priests  and  law-givers  of  the  Britons. 
The  chiefs  commanded  the  forces  in  time  of  war,  but  all  other 
power  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Druids.  The  laws  of  the  Britons 
were  composed  in  verse,  and  the  only  record  of  them  was  in  the 
memory  of  the  Druids.  The  old  taught  them  to  the  young,  and  thus 
the  knowledge  of  them  was  kept  up  from  one  generation  to  another. 

6.  So  great  was  the  veneration  in  which  they  were  held,  that 
when  two  hostile  armies,  with  daggers  drawn,  and  spears  extended, 
were  about  to  engage  in  battle,  the  request  of  the  Druids  was  suffi- 
cient to  calm  their  rage,  and  to  induce  them  to  sheath  their  daggers, 
and  separate  in  peace. 

7.  The  Druids  believed  that  it  was  displeasing  to  the  Deity  tc 
worship  within  walls,  or  under  roofs.    They  worshipped,  therefore. 


Britons?    What  was  his  fate?    4.  What  of  the  Druids?     5.  Who  were  they?    What 
of  the  laws  of  Britain  ?    6.  What  of  the  influence  of  the  Druids?    7,  8.  Their  temples? 


DE8TKUCTION    OF    LONDON.  19 

in  the  open  air  in  groves  of  particular  trees.  The  favorite  was  the 
strong  and  spreading  oak,  and  in  all  their  ceremonies  they  were 
crowiied  with  garlands  of  its  leaves. 

8.  In  the  centre  of  the  grove  was  a  space  enclosed  with  one  or  two 
rows  of  large  stones  set  upright  in  the  ground.  In  the  centre  stood 
the  altar  upon  which  sacrifices  were  olfered.  When  they  wished  to 
erect  a  temple  of  particular  magnificence,  they  laid  stones  of  pro- 
digious weight  on  the  tops  of  the  upright  pillars,  thus  forming  a  kind 
of  circle  in  the  air,  which  added  much  to  the  grandeur.  Some  of 
these  temples  yet  remain  ;  the  most  perfect  is  at  Stonehenge. 

9.  The  ofiice  of  Druid  was  held  by  w^omen  as  well  as  by  men ; 
the  former  took  part  in  all  the  public  ceremonies ;  to  them  was 
assigned  the  horrible  duty  of  plunging  the  knife  into  the  breast  of 
the  victim  prepared  for  the  sacrifice.  The  victims  were  not  sheep 
and  oxen  alone,  but  the  prisoners  taken  in  war  were  considered  as 
a  most  acceptable  offering. 

10.  The  principal  residence  of  the  Druids  was  in  the  little  island 
of  Anglesea.  Suetonius  resolved  to  make  himself  master  of  this 
stronghold.  The  Britons  endeavored  to  prevent  the  landing  of  his 
troops.  The  w^omen  and  priests  mingled  with  the  soldiers  on  the 
shore,  and  running  about  with  burning  torches  in  their  hands,  and 
tossing  their  long  hair,  they  terrified  the  astonished  Romans  more 
by  their  shrieks  and  bowlings,  than  by  the  appearance  of  the  armed 
forces. 

11.  But  the  Romans  soon  recovered  their  spirits,  and,  marching 
boldly  forward,  speedily  put  an  end  to  all  resistance.  -  Meanwhile 
the  Britons  took  advantage  of  the  absence  of  Suetonius.  Headed 
by  !^Qndirpa,  a  brave  queen,  they  attacked  and  destroyed  the  Roman 
settlements.  There  were  many  of  these  which  were  quite  flourish- 
ing. London,  which  at  the  first  invasion  was  a  forest,  had  now 
become  a  rich  and  populous  city. 

12.  Suetonius  was  obliged  to  abandon  this  place  to  the  fury  of 
the  Britons.  It  was  entirely  destroyed,  and  more  than  70,000 
Romans  and  other  strangers  were  put  to  death.  But  he  soon  had 
a  most  cruel  revenge ;  with  his  little  army  of  10,000  men,  he  at- 
tacked the  Britons,  and  left  80,000  of  them  dead  upon  the  field  of 
battle.    Boadicea^  in  despair  at  this  defeat,  poisoned  herself. 


CHAPTER  V.  ^ 

Agricola. —  The  Scots  and  Fids. — The  Roman  Wall. —  Christianity 
introduced. 

1.  The  Romans  now  easily  established  themselves  all  over  Britain 
and  built  towns  and  castles,  and  were  entire  masters  of  the  countiy 

j 

9.  Were  the  Druids  always  men?    What  part  did  the  women  take  in  the  ceremonies? 

10.  Where  did  they  principally  reside?'  What  did  Suetonius  do?  How  did  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  island  act?  11.  What  was  the  result?  What  did  the  Britons  do  in  the 
absence  of  the  Romans?     What  of  London?    12.  What  revenge  did  Suetonius  have? 


20  THE   SCOTS   AND    PICTS. 

I 

Julius  Agricola,  one  of  their  generals,  was  a  very  good,  as  well  as  a 
brave  man.  He  took  great  pains  to  reconcile  the  Britons  to  the 
Roman  government,  by  introducing  their  arts  and  sciences.  He 
encouraged  them  to  engage  in  agriculture,  which  the  Eomans  con- 
sidered the  most  honorable  employment.  He  also  persuaded  them 
to  learn  the  Latin  language. 

2.  He  succeeded  so  well  in  his  endeavors,  that  the  Britons  soon 
came  to  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  be  a  part  of  the  Roman  empire. 
Indeed,  they  derived  other  advantages  besides  the  increase  of  com- 
fort which  a  knowledge  of  the  Roman  arts  had  brought  them. 

3.  The  northern  part  of  the  island,  called  Caledonia,  and  now 
Scotland,  was  inhabited  by  the  Scots  and  Picts,  a  wild  and  warlike 
people,  who  made  incursions  into  the  country  of  Britain,  and  after 
destroying  everything  that  came  in  their  way,  retired  into  their 
bleak  and  barren  mountains. 

4.  Whenever  they  ventured  to  stand  a  battle  in  the  open  field, 
they  were  defeated-  by  the  Romans;  but  they  seldom  did  this. 
They  generally  retired  as  the  Roman  troops  advanced.  As  soon  as 
the  latter  were  withdrawn  from  their  neighborhood,  they  again 
commenced  their  depredations. 

5.  Agricola  caused  a  line  of  forts  to  be  built  across  Scotland, 
thus  shutting  out  the  marauders.  The  country  now  enjoyed  peace 
for  many  years,  during  which  the  Romans  occupied  themselves  in 
making  roads,  many  of  which  are  still  remaining ;  and  in  building 
strong  and  massive  castles,  the  ruins  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen. 

6.  But  the  forts  did  not  prove  a  sufficient  defence  against  the 
Picts  and  Scots,  who  renewed  their  incursions  upon  the  more  cul- 
tivated parts  of  the  island.  The  Finipprr^r  A^ritin  who  visited 
Britain,  caused  a  rampart  of  earth  to  be  erected.  This,  however, 
proved  too  weak,  and  in  the  year  2^)7  the  "F.p^pfjor  Revf^rns  came 
to  Britain,  with  a  determination  to  conquer  Caledonia. 

7.  The  nature  of  the  country,  and  the  bravery  of  the  people,  pre- 
vented his  succeeding ;  so  he  contented  himself  with  building  an 
immense  stone  wall,  twelve  feet  high,  and  eight  feet  thick,  quite 
across  the  country,  from  the  river  Tyne  to  the  Solway  Frith,  many 
parts  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen. 

8.  For  a  long  time  everything  went  on  so  quietly,  that  little  men- 
tion is  made  of  the  affairs  of  this  island  by  any  historian.  The 
people  were  governed  by  Roman  officers,  called  legates,  or  vicars. 
Among  the  benefits  which  the  conquerors  iDcstowed  on  Britain,  was 
the  introduction  of  Christianity,  which  there  is  reason  to  believe 
had  made  considerable  progress  before  the  end  of  the  first  century. 

V. — 1.  What  of  Julius  Agricola?  What  did  he  do  for  the  Britons?  2.  What  success 
had  he?  3.  What  was  the  northern  part  of  the  island  called?  By  whom  inhabited? 
4.  What  of  the  Scots  and  Picts?  5.  What  did  Agricola  do  to  restrain  them?  How  did 
the  Romans  occupy  themselves  ?  6.  What  new  means  were  tried  to  keep  oflF  the  Picts 
and  Scots  ?  What  of  the  Emperor  Severus  ?  8.  What  was  the  state  of  the  island  after 
Severus  ?    What  of  Christianity  ? 


SUFFERINGS   OF   THE   BRITONS.  21 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Romans  abandon  Britain. — Dreadful  Sufferings  of  the  Britons. 

1.  About  the  year  ,4^,  the  Romans  were  compelled  to  withdraw 
their  troops  from  the  distant  provinces,  and,  among  the  rest,  from 
Britain,  to  defend  their  city  against  the  barbarous  tribes  of  tlie 
north  of  Europe. 

2.  Before  the  Romans  left  the  island,  they  repaired  the  wall 
built  by  Severus.  But  as  walls  are  of  very  little  use  without  brave 
and  well-armed  men  to  defend  them,  the  Roman  general  instructed 
the  Britons  in  the  art  of  making  and  of  using  the  several  kinds 
of  arms. 

3.  He  then  departed  with  his  troops,  telling  the  people  that,  as 
they  would  never  again  have  assistance  from  the  Romans,  they  had 
better  learn  to  take  care  of  themselves.  Thus  the  Romans  quitted 
the  island,  after  having  had  possession  of  it  nearly  500  years,  if  we 
reckon  from  the  first  invasion  of  Julius  Caesar. 

4.  Liberty  proved  anything  but  a  blessing  to  the  Britons.  They 
were  as  helpless  as  so  many  children  turned  loose  upon  the  world. 
They  had  so  long  been  accustomed  to  rely  upon  the  Romans  for 
defence  as  well  as  for  government,  that  they  knew  not  how  to  set 
about  either. 

5.  The  Picts  and  the  Scots,  learning  that  the  island  was  deserted 
by  the  Romans,  approached  the  wall  of  Severus.  They  found  it  in 
complete  repair,  and  apparently  well  defended  by  armed  Britons. 
But  these  had  profited  little  by  the  instructions  of  their  late  mas- 
ters, and  they  fled  at  the  first  attack. 

6.  The  savage  invaders  now  ravaged  the  whole  country.  They 
were  like  wolves  let  into  a  sheep-fold.  The  wretched  Britons  fled 
from  their  comfortable  houses,  and  sought  a  refuge  in  the  forests 
and  mountains.  Afraid  to  venture  fortli  to  cultivate  their  fields, 
they  suffered  all  the  horrors  of  famine. 

7.  The  land  being  now  barren,  and  nothing  to  be  gained,  the 
Picts  and  Scots  ceased  from  their  incursions  for  several  years.  The 
Britons  who  had  survived  the  calamities  of  their  country,  once  more 
began  ploughing  and  sowing,  and  the  next  year  there  was  an  abun- 
dant harvest.  No  sooner  did  the  rapacious  Scots  hear  of  it,  than 
they  all  came  rushing  into  Britain. 

8.  The  Britons,  for  a  third  time,  sent  to  the  Romans  to  come  and 
help  them,  and  despatched  a  letter  to  Aetius,  the  governor  of  Gaul : 
"  To  Aetius,  thrice  Consul.  The  groans  of  the  Britons.  The  barba- 
rians drive  us  to  the  sea ;  the  sea  throws  us  back  on  the  swords 
of  the  barbarians :  so  we  have  nothing  left  but  the  wretched  choice 

VI. — 1.  When  did  the  Romans  withdraw  from  Britain?  2.  What  did  tliey  do  for  the 
defence  of  the  Britons  ?  3.  How  long  had  they  possessed  the  island  ?  4.  What  of  the 
Britons?  5.  The  Scots  and  Picts?  6.  How' did  they  treat  the  Britons?  7.  What 
caused  them  to  suspend  their  incursions?  Why  did  they  renew  them?  8.  What  did 
the  Britons  do  ? 


22 


ACCOUNT    OF   THE   SAXONS. 


of  being  either  drowned  or  butchered."  This  melancholy  letter  did 
no  good,  but  they  received  assistance  from  another  quarter,  as  you 
shall  presently  hear. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Account  of  the  Saxons. 


THE  DEATH   OF  HORSA. 


1.  At  the  time  of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  the  shores  of  the 
Baltic  Sea  were  inhabited  by  several  tribes  of  people,  nearly  in  a 
savage  state.  In  France,  and  in  those  parts  of  the  continent  of 
Europe  which  had  been  subject  to  Eome,  they  were  called  by  the 
common  name  of  3fen  of  the  North,  or  Normans;  amongst  them- 
selves they  were  distinguished  by  various  names,  such  as  Saxons, 
Danes,  and  many  others. 

2.  These  people  were  the  terror  of  all  the  more  civilized  coun- 
tries. Launching  their  light  boats,  which  were  made  of  osiers,  cov- 
ered with  skins  sewed  together,  they  suffered  the  wind  to  blow  them 
to  any  foreign  coast.  Landing  there,  they  spread  devastation  over 
a  wide  extent  of  country,  and  then  returned  home  laden  with  booty. 

3.  It  so  happened  that,  in  the  ypnr  44R  during  one  of  their 
piratical  expeditions,  a  party  of  about  300  Saxons,  under  two  lead- 
ers named  Ij£iigist.and  Hfff^^n_  landed  in  Britain,  just  at  the  time 
when  the  people  were  suffering  from  the  ravages  of  the  Scots. 

4.  Vortigern,  a  prince  of  the  Britons,  advised  his  countrymen  to 


VII,— 1.  Who  were  the  Normans?    2.  What  is  said  of  their  expeditions?    3.  When 
did  Hengist  and  Horsa  land  in  Britain  ?    4.  How  did  the  Britons  receive  them  ?    5.  What 


ACCOUNT   OF   THE   SAXONS.  23 

entreat  aid  from  these  strangers.  This  was  readily  granted.  Join- 
ing their  forces,  the  Britons  and  Saxons  marched  against  the  Scots, 
who  were  defeated  and  driven  back. 

5.  The  Saxons,  seeing  the  agreeable  nature  of  the  countrj^  uegan 
to  covet  the  possession  of  it  for  themselves.  Sending  for  more  of 
their  countrymen,  they  fell  upon  the  unfortunate  Britons,  and  de- 
feated them  in  many  battles,  in  one  of  which  Horsa  was  killed. 

6.  Hengist,  now  become  sole  commander  of  the  Saxons,  took  the 
title  of  King  of  Kent.  New  swarms  of  Saxons  kept  pouring  in, 
and  by  degrees  got  possession  of  almost  the  whole  country  south  of 
Adrian's  wall.  Each  of  the  chiefs  took  possession  of  what  he  con- 
quered, and  thus  at  last  arose  seven  different  kingdoms,  which  are 
commonly  called  the  Saxon  Heptarchy. 

7.  These  seven  kingdoms  were  as  follows : — 

Ke,nt — contpjned  the  present  counties  of  Kent,  and  part  of  Sus- 
sex. 

South  Saxony,  or  Sussex — the  present  county  of  Surrey,  and  part 
of  Sussex. 

West  Saxony,  or  Wessex — included  the  coast  from  Sussex  to 
Land's  End. 

Bast  Saxony,  or  Essex. 

Bast  Anglia — so  called  from  a  district  of  Germany,  whence  a  por- 
tion of  the  conquering  Saxons  came,  included  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  and 
Cambridgeshire. 

Mercia — the  midland  part  of  the  island. 

Northumberland — from  Mercia  to  the  borders  of  Scotland. 

8.  The  Britons  did  not  yield  without  a  struggle.  Sometimes  they 
were  cheered  by  a  momentary  success.  The  most  celebrated  of 
their  chiefs  was  the  renowned  King  Arthur,  who  defeated  the 
Saxons  in  twelve  battles. 

9.  He  used  to  give  great  feasts  to  his  brave  companions.  That 
there  might  be  no  disputes  about  the  seats,  he  had  a  round  table 
made,  so  that  all  might  be  equally  honorable.  King  Arthur  and 
the  Knights  of  the  Eound  Table  have  been  great  favorites  with 
story-tellers. 

10.  But  all  opposition  proved  vain.  A  large  number  of  the  Brit- 
ons were  slaughtered  by  the  Saxons.  A  portion  of  them  crossed 
over  to  France,  where  they  settled  in  the  northwestern  corner  of 
that  country,  which  has  since,  from  them,  been  called  Brittany. 
The  remainder  took  refuge  in  the  mountains  of  Wales  and  Corn- 
wall. The  present  inhabitants  of  these  districts  are  the  descendants 
of  the  ancient  Britons,  and  still  retain  vestiges  of  their  language. 

«li>l  the  Saxoiiij  do?  6.  Wliat  was  the  Heptarchy?  7.  Describe  the  seven  kingdoms.  8, 
9.  What  is  said  of  King  Arthur?     10.  What  became  of  the  Britons? 


24  CUSTOJp   OF   TiiE   ANGLO-SAXONS. 


CHAPTEE    VIII. 

The  Language  and  Religion  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. — Origin  of  the 
Names  of  the  Days  of  the  Week. — Curious  Circumstance  which  led 
to  the  Introduction  of  Christianity. 

1.  The  people  who  had  now  possessed  themselves  of  Britain  are 
called  in  history  Anglo-Saxons.  So  completely  was  the  country 
subdued,  that  no  customs,  truly  British  or  Roman,  were  now  to  be 
seen ;  the  language,  which  had  been  either  Celtic  or  Latin,  was  dis- 
continued, and  the  Saxon  or  English  only  was  spoken. 

2.  The  Christian  religion  also  disappeared,  for  the  Saxons  were 
pagans,  and  worshipped  a  great  number  of  gods.  From  the  chief 
of  them  the  days  of  the  week  receive  their  names.  Worshipping 
the  Sun,  they  called  the  fii^st  day  Sunday.  The  second  was  named 
Monday,  from  the  Moon.  Another  god  they  called  Tuisco,  or  Tiw, 
and  to  him  they  assigned  the  third  day. 

3.  The  next  idol  which  they  adored  for  a  god  was  Woden ;  he  had 
been  a  famous  and  victorious  prince  among  them,  and  after  his 
death  they  worshipped  him  as  the  God  of  Battle.  The  fourth  day 
was  named  for  him  Woden's  day,  or  Wednesday.  Not  only  the 
Saxons,  but  all  the  northern  nations  worshipped  Thor,  whose  name 
was  given  to  the  fifth  day,  Thursday. 

4.  Friday  received  its  name  from  Friga,  who  was  the  same  with 
the  Earth,  and  was  esteemed  the  mother  of  all  the  deities.  They 
had  another  god  named  Saterne,  and  to  him  they  consecrated  the 
last  day  of  the  week,  and  called  it  Saterne's  day,  or  Saturday. 

5.  But  the  Anglo-Saxons  did  not  long  remain  pagans.  For  the 
early  introduction  of  Christianity  they  were  indebted  to  a  circum- 
stance, which  furnishes  a  striking  instance  that  a  seeming  evil  often 
proves  the  source  of  the  most  lasting  good. 

6.  Slavery,  in  its  worst  form,  existed  among  the  Anglo-Saxons. 
With  most  savage  nations,  prisoners  taken  in  war  are  either  slain 
or  made  slaves  of.  But  few  people  are  so  debased  as  were  these 
conquerors  of  Britain.  To  gratify  some  temporary  appetite,  indi- 
viduals would  sell  themselves  into  bondage,  and  parents  w^ere  known 
to  sell  their  own  children. 

7.  It  happened  one  day,  when  Pope  Gregory  I.  was  walking  in 
the  streets  of  Rome,  that  he  saw  some  very  beautiful  children  ex- 
posed for  sale.  Asking  from  whence  they  came,  he  was  told  from 
England,  on  which  he  said  they  would  not  be  Angli,  but  Angeli,  if 
they  were  but  Christians.  Angli  is  the  Latin  word  for  English,  and 
Angeli,  that  for  Angels. 

8.  Gregory  resolved  to  attempt  this  change;  so  he  ordered  St. 
Austin  or.  Augustine,  with  forty  other  Roman  monks,  to  go  into 

VIII. — 1.  What  were  the  conquorors  of  Britain  called?  What  is  said  of  the  lan- 
guage? 2.  What  of  tlie  religion  of  the  Saxons?  3,  4.  From  whom  are  the  days  of  the 
week  named?    6.  What  bad  custom  existed  among  the  Saxons?     7.  What  attracti-d 


INTRODUCTION    OF    CHRISTIANITY.  'ZO 

Britain  and  preach  the  Gosi)el.  When  these  missionaries  reached 
France,  the  people  of  which  had  already  been  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, they  heard  such  dreadfiu  stories  of  the  savage  manners  of 
the  Anglo-Saxons,  that  they  were  afraid  to  go  on,  and  sent  back 
Augustine  to  ask  the  pope's  permission  to  give  up  the  enterprise. 

9.  But  Gregory  exhorted  them  to  persevere,  and  advised  them  to 
take  some  of  the  French  people,  then  called  Franks,  as  interpreters, 
for  their  language  was  nearly  the  same  as  that  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. 
Augustine  proceeded  and  found  the  danger  much  less  than  he  had 
imagined. 

10.  Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent,  was  already  well  disposed  towards 
the  Christian  faith,  for  his  wife  Bertha  was  a  daughter  of  Caribert, 
one  of  the  kings  of  France.  He  therefore  received  the  missionaries 
with  kindness.  Having  heard  what  they  had  to  say,  he  told  them 
that  he  could  not  without  consideration  abandon  the  religion  of  his 
ancestors;  but  as  they  had  come  so  far  on  a  friendly  errand,  they 
might  remain  in  peace,  and  use  their  best  endeavors  to  convert  his 
subjects. 

11.  The  monks  at  once  entered  on  their  labors,  which  were 
crowned  with  such  success,  that  in  a  very  short  time  the  king  and 
a  great  number  of  his  subjects  were  converted.  Augustine  bap- 
tized no  fewer  than  ten  thousand  on  Christmas  day,  597,  and  was 
soon  after  made  Archbishop  of  Canterbur}\ 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Anglo-Saxons. —  7'heir  Historians. —  The  Condition  of  the  People. 

1.  In  the  course  of  time  the  manners  of  the  Anglo-Saxons  lost 
somewhat  of  their  fierceness,  and  their  customs  and  institutions 
became  more  civilized.  Our  knowledge  of  them  is  very  imperfect. 
None  but  the  clergy  made  any  j3retensions  to  learning.  Few  of 
these  could  do  more  than  read  their  prayer-books  and  write  their 
names. 

2.  There  were  many  even  among  the  high  clergy  who  could  not 
do  this.  There  are  deeds  still  extant,  made  by  lord  bishops,  which 
are  signed  by  some  other  persons  in  their  names,  because  the  lord 
bishops  could  not  write  their  own  names. 

3.  The  earliest  historian  is  Gildas,  who  lived  in  the  sixtii-^cen- 
tury.  He  was  so  much  admired  by  his  countrymen,  as  to  be  called 
by  them  GMQiMiAJ^i^^e.  In  the  s^y^pth  (^pntnry  there  was  another 
learned  luonk,  named  Bede,  or,  as  he  is  generally  called,  the  VmP^ciLIe 
Bede.    He  was  never  higher  in  rank  than  a  simple  monk,  yet,  on 


the  notice  of  Gregory  to  Hrit.iiii?  8.  Whom  did  he  send  to  convert  it?  9.  What  did 
the  monks  do?  10.  Who  received  the  missionaries  kindly?  11.  What  was  their  suc- 
cess ? 

IX. — 1.  What  is  said  of  tlie   nianners  of  the  Anglo-Saxons?    Wliat  of  the  state  of 
learning?    3.  What  is  said  of  Gildivg?     4.  AVhat  of  the  government  of  the  Anglo-Saxon«? 


26  THE    CONDITION    OF    THE    PEOPLE. 

account  of  his  writings,  his  fame  spread  through  all  li^urope.  The 
pope  courted  his  company,  and  his  advice  in  the  government  of  the 
church. 

4.  From  these  sources  we  are  able  to  tell  you  that  the  Anglo- 
Saxons  were  governed  by  a  king,  wlio^e  power  was  very  much  con- 
trolled and  limited  by  an  assembly  of  the  wise  men  of  the  nation, 
called  the  WiliSMLg£Mot.  The  nobility,  the  high  clergy,  and  all 
freemen  possessing  a  certain  portion  of  land,  were,  of  right,  mem- 
ber^ of  this  assembly. 

5.  The  Anglo-Saxons  were  divided  into  three  orders  of  men— ^the 
nobles,  the  freemen,  and  the  slaves.  The  nobles  formed  a  very 
large  class.  They  were  called  Thanes.  The  freemen  were  called 
Ceorls,  and  were  principally  engaged  in  husbandry,  whence  a  hus- 
bandman and  a  ceorl  came  to  be  synonymous  terms. 

6.  A  ceorl  could  raise  himself  to  the  rank  of  thane,  in  various 
ways.  Success  in  agriculture  might  furnish  him  with  the  means  of 
procuring  the  requisite  quantity  of  land,  with  buildings  proper  to 
the  dignity.  If  a  ceorl  acquired  learning  enough  and  became  a 
priest,  he  was  esteemed  a  thane.  Success  in  trade,  or  in  war,  raised 
him  to  the  same  rank.  Agriculture,  commerce,  arms,  and  the  church, 
were  considered  the  only  professions  for  a  freeman. 

7.  The  slaves  were  by  far  the  most  numerous  class.  They  were 
of  two  kinds,  namely,  household  slaves,  who  lived  in  the  family,  ana 
performed  the  ordinary  duties  of  domestic  servants,  and  rustic  slaves, 
who  were  attached  to  particular  estates,  and  were  transferred  with 
the  soil.  '  S-C 

8.  These  last  were  called  villani,  or  v\Ukj^ns,  because  they  dwelt 
in  the  villages  belonging  to  their  masters,  and  performed  all  the 
servile  labors,  required  upon  the  land.  The  clergy  made  great  efforts 
to  improve  the  condition  of  the  slaves,  and  to  secure  the  rights 
which  their  influence  had  procured  for  them.  Notwithstanding 
this,  the  greater  part  of  the  common  people  remained  in  abject 
slavery  during  the  time  the  Saxons  governed  the  country. 


V 


CHAPTER   X. 

The  Laws  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. — Modes  of  Trial. —  The  Ordeal. 

1.  Under  the  Romans,  Britain  was  divided  into  colonies  and 
governments.  By  the  Saxons  the  country  was  parcelled  out  into 
counties,  or,  as  they  called  them,  shires,  which  means  divisions. 
The  government  of  a  shire  was  entrusted  to  an  eorl  or  eorldorman, 
whence  the  present  terms  earl  and  alderman.  The  earl  generally 
exercised  this  government  by  his  deputy,  called  the  shire-reeve,  or 
sheriff — that  is,  guardian  of  a  shire. 

6.  IIow  were  they  diviled?    6.  By  what  means  could  a  man  rise  in  rank?    7.  What  ia 
said  of  the  slaves?    8.  Who  were  the  villains?     Why  so  called? 

X. — 1.  How  was  Britiiu  divided  by  the  Romans?     How  by  the  Saxons?     How  wa^ 


LAWS    OF   THE   ANGLO-SAXONS.  27 

2.  The  criminal  laws  of  the  Anglo-Saxons  were  very  mild. 
Every  crime  might  be  compensated  for  in  money.  We  consider 
the  life  and  limbs  of  one  man  as  valuable  as  those  of  another.  But 
among  the  Anglo-Saxons  the  value  of  a  man's  life,  or  of  his  arm,  or 
his  leg,  depended  u^^on  his  rank,  or  his  office,  and  a  price  was  fixed 
accoi-dingly,  which  was  to  be  paid  by  the  person  who  should  de- 
prive him  of  either. 

3.  Their  mode  of  proving  crimes  was  singular.  Instead  of  being 
determined  by  the  evidence  of  witnesses,  they  referred  the  decision 
to  tha  judgment  of  God,  as  it  was  called.     There  were  various  modes 

ibf  doing  this,  but  the  most  common  was  the  ordeal.    This  method 
was  practised  either  by  boiling  water,  or  red-hot  iron. 

4.  The  water  or  iron  was  consecrated  by  many  prayers  and  fast- 
ings, after  which  the  accused  person  either  took  up  with  his  naked 
hand  a  stone  sunk  in  the  boiling  water,  or  carried  the  heated  iron 
to  a  certain  distance.  The  hand  was  then  wrapped  up,  and  the 
covering  sealed  for  three  days ;  if  at  the  end  of  the  time  there  ap- 
peared no  marks  of  burning  or  scalding,  the  person  was  pronounced 
innocent;  otherwise  he  was  declared  guilty. 

5.  Another  way  of  performing  the  ordeal  of  hot  iron  was,  by 
making  the  person  to  be  tried,  to  walk  blindfold  over  nine  hot 
ploughshares,  placed  at  certain  distances.  If  he  did  this  without 
being  burnt,  he  was  acquitted.  These  fiery  ordeals  were  nothing 
but  impositions  on  the  credulity  of  mankind. 

6.  The  whole  was  conducted  under  the  direction  of  the  priests, 
and  the  ceremony  was  pertormed  in  a  church.  No  person  was  per- 
mitted to  enter  except  the  priest  and  the  accused  until  the  iron  was 
heated,  when  twelve  friends  of  the  accused  and  twelve  of  the  ac- 
cuser were  admitted,  and  ranged  along  the  wall,  on  each  side  of  the 
church,  at  a  respectful  distance. 

7.  After  the  iron  was  taken  frum  the  fire,  several  prayers  were 
said,  and  many  forms  gone  through  ;  all  this  might  take  a  consider- 
able time,  if  the  priests  were  indulgent.  It  was  always  remarked 
that  no  good  friend  of  the  church  ever  sustained  the  least  injury 
from  the  ordeal ;  but  if  any  one  who  had  wronged  the  church  was 
foolish  enough  to  appeal  to  this  mode  of  trial,  he  was  sure  to  burn 
his  fingers  or  his  feet,  and  to  lose  his  cause. 

8.  I  am  afraid  you  will  think  all  this  very  dull,  but  these  are 
n  atters  proper  to  be  known.  It  may  be  a  little  more  interesting  to 
hear  what  officers  were  considered  as  necessary  in  the  king's  house- 
hold. The  first  in  dignity  was  the  mayor  of  the  palace,  always  a 
prince  of  the  royal  family.  The  priest  was  the  next  in  rank,  who 
sat  at  the  royal  table  to  bless  the  meat,  and  to  chant  the  Lord's 
prayer. 

9.  The  third  was  the  steward,  who  had  a  variety  of  perquisites, 
and  came  in  for  a  large  share  of  every  barrel  of  good  ale,  and  cask 
of  mead.     Then  came  the  judge,  distinguished  for  his  learning,  and 


the^shire  governed?  2.  What  of  the  criminal  laws  of  the  Anglo-Saxons?  3,  How  wore 
trials  conducted?  4,  5.  Describe  the  kinds  of  ordeal,  and  mode  of  proceeding.  6.  Who 
ncmdncted  these  ceremonies  ?     8,  9.  What  officers  had  the  king  about  him  ? 


-H  <y  1/  /  • 


28 


THE    KINGDOM    OF    ENGLAND    ESTABLISHED. 


by  his  long  beard.  Last,  and  perhaps  the  most  useful,  was  the 
king's  feet-bearer.  This  was  a  young  gentleman,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  sit  on  the  floor,  and  hold  the  king's  feet  in  his  bosom,  while 
he  sat  at  table,  to  keep  them  warm  and  comfortable. 


/ 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Kingdom  of  England  established. —  The  Danes  become  trouble- 
some.— Saxon  Race  of  Kings  from  Egbert  to  Alfred. — Alfred  the 
Great. 


ALFRED  AND  HIS  MOTHER. 

1.  After  the  Saxons  had  expelled  the  Britons,  finding  no  other 
enemies  to  subdue,  they  began  to  quarrel  among  themselves.  At 
last  E^ert,  King,  oOijgssex,  a  prince  of  great  natural  abilities, 
who  had  spent  some  time  at  the  court  of  Charlemagne,  King  of 
France,  reduced  all  the  other  kingdoms  to  subjection,  and  in  ,2^ 
was  crowned  king  of  Angle-land,  or  England,  by  which  name  this 
portion  of  the  United  Kingdom  has  from  that  time  been  called. 

2.  It  was  now  nearly  400  years  since  the  Saxons  first  came  into 
Britain.     They  had  begun  to  value  the  arts  of  peace,  and  hoped, 
under  the  government  of  one  prince,  to  enjoy  quiet.     But  they  were 
disappointed.     As  they  had  robbed  the  more  civilized  Britons,  so . 
they  themselves  were  subjected  in  their  turn  to  the  ravages  of  the 


XI. — 1.  Who  reduced  England  to  one  kingdom?    When  was  he  crowned?    2.  Who 


SAXON    RACE    OF    KINGS.  2S 

Danes,  who  yet  retained  the  savage  and  piratical  habits  of  their 
ancestors. 

3.  They  began  their  irruptions  into  England  during  the  reign  of 
Egbert.  In  the  reign  of  Ethplwnlf,  his  son,  they  became  more  for- 
midable. Landing  from  their  little  vessels,  they  scattered  them- 
selves over  the  face  of  the  country  in  small  parties,  making  spoil 
of  everything  that  came  in  their  way — ^goods.  cattle,  and  people. 

4.  If"  opposed  by  a  superior  force,  they  retreated  to  their  boats, 
and,  sailing  off,  invaded  some  distant  quarter,  where  they  were  not 
expected.  All  England  was  kept  in  continual  alarm ;  nor  durst  the 
people  of  one  part  go  to  the  assistance  of  another,  lest  their  own  fam- 
ilies and  possessions  should  be  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  ravagers. 

5.  The  harassed  state  of  the  country  did  not  hinder  the  king  from 
making  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome,  taking  with  him  his  youngest  son, 
Alfred,  not  yet  six  years  old.  Ethelwolf  was  a  weak  and  super- 
stitious prince,  and  the  clergy  of  England  took  advantage  of  the 
opportunity  to  obtain  a  grant  of  a  tenth  part,  called  a  tithe,  of  the 
produce  of  land. 

6.  During  the  reigns  of  lEillfilWd,  Etkdtot,  and  Eth^lr^,  sons 
of  J^thelw^lf,  who  in  succession  governed  England,  the  Danes  con- 
tinued their  piratical  incursions.  The  last  of  these  princes  was 
killed  in  battle  against  them,  in  the  year  871,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  youngest  brother,  AyXsi  who  was  one  of  the  best  and  greatest 
kings  that  ever  reigned  in  "England. 

7.  Alfred,  like  the  young  Saxons  in  general,  was  brought  up  in 
BO  much  ignorance,  that  he  was  not  even  taught  to  read ;  but  \\  hen 
he  was  about  twelve  years  old,  his  mother  one  day  showed  him  and 
his  brothers  a  book  of  Saxon  poetry,  which  was  beautifully  written 
and  ornamented,  and  told  them  that  she  would  give  it  to  the  one 
who  should  soonest  learn  to  peruse  it. 

8.  Alfred  applied  himself  with  so  much  ardor,  that  in  a  very  short 
time  he  was  able  to  read  the  poem  to  the  queen,  who  gave  it  to  hira 
as  his  reward.  From  this  time  he  took  the  greatest  delight  in  study ; 
but  he  had  two  great  difficulties  to  struggle  with ;  one  was,  that 
there  were  so  few  books  to  be  had ;  and  the  other,  that  there  were 
so  few  people  among  the  Saxons  who  could  teach  him  anything. 

9.  Notwithstanding  all  these  obstacles,  he  soon  became  one  of 
the  most  learned  men  of  his  time.  Even  when  he  was  king,  he 
always  carried  a  book  in  the  bosom  of  his  robe,  that  whenever  he 
had  a  spare  moment  he  might  be  able  to  profit  by  it;  and  thus, 
without  neglecting  any  of  his  duties,  he  acquired  a  very  extensive 
knowledge. 

10.  His  time  was  divided  into  three  equal  parts ;  one-third  was 
devoted  to  reHg^ion  and  to  study,  another  third  to  sleep  and  refresh- 
ment, and  the  other  to  the  affiiirs  of  his  kingdom.  As  there  were 
no  clocks  or  watches  in  use  in  England,  Alfred  contrived  to  meas- 
ure time  by  the  burning  of  candles. 


trouble:!  the  Saxons?  3,  4.  What  is  said  of  the  irruptions  of  the  Danes?  5.  What  lid 
Ethelwolf  do?  What  of  liis  cliaracter?  6,  Who  succeeded  him?  When  di.t  .llfrod 
br-gin  to  reign?    7,  8.  What  of  Alfred's  learning?    9.  What  instance  of  his  regard  for 


30 


ADVENTURES   OF   ALFRED. 


11.  These  candles  were  painted  in  rings  of  different  breadtha 
and  colors — so  many  colors  as  he  had  things  to  attend  to — and  thus 
he  knew  by  the  burning  of  these  candles  when  he  had  been  em- 
ployed long  enough  about  any  one  thing.  But  he  found  that  when 
the*  wind  blew  upon  his  candles  they  burnt  quicker ;  and  so,  to  rem- 
edy the  inconvenience,  he  invented  lanterns  to  pat  them  in. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


1^ 


Mo7'e  about  Alfred. — His  various  Adventures. — He  subdues  the  Danes, 


ALFRED   RELIEVING  THE   PILGIMM. 

1.  Alfred  was  twenty-two  years  old  when  he  succeeded  his 
brother  Ethelred.  During  the  first  eight  years  of  his  reign,  he  suf- 
fered continual  persecution  from  the  Danes,  who  at  one  time  ob- 
tained almost  entire  possession  of  the  kingdom,  and  Alfred  was, 
obliged  to  conceal  himself. 

2.  It  was  now  very  difficult  for  him  to  procure  provisions,  but  he 
Btill  retained  his  charitable  disposition.   One  day,  as  he  sat  reading  in 

improvement?    10.  How  was  his  time  divided?    How  did  he  measure  time?    11.  De- 
sciif^  '•^'8  candles. 
XfL— 1.  What  of  tho  first  years  of  the  reign  of  Alfred?    2,  3.  What  story  is  related 


ADVENTURES   OF   ALFRED. 


31 


his  hut,  whilst  FJswithn,  his  wife,  was  employed  in  her  domestic 
concerns,  a  poor  pilgrim  knocked  at  the  door  and  begged  they 
would  give  him  something  to  eat. 

3.  The  humane  king  called  to  Elswitha,  and  asked  her  to  give 
the  poor  man  part  of  what  was  in  the  house.  The  queen,  having 
but  a  single  loaf  of  bread,  brought  it  to  Alfred  to  show  him  how 
slender  their  store  w^as.  But  he  was  not  to  be  deterred  from  his 
charitable  purpose,  and  cheerfully  gave  to  the  poor  man  one-half 
of  the  loaf. 

4.  The  better  to  conceal  himself,  Alfred  at  one  time  assumed  the 
disguise  of  a  servant,  and  hired  himself  to  a  cow-herd.  One  day, 
when  he  was  in  the  cottage  trimming  his  bow  and  arrows,  the  old 
man's  wife,  who  did  not  know  that  he  was  the  king,  told  him  to 
watch  some  cakes  that  were  baking  by  the  fire. 


ALFRED  AND  TlfE  NEAT-HERD'S  WIFE. 

5.  Alfred,  who  had  many  other  things  to  think  of,  forgot  to  turn 
them  at  the  proper  time,  and  they  were  all  spoiled.  The  old  woman 
was  very  angry  with  him,  and  told  him  he  was  a  lazy  fellow,  who 
would  eat  the  cakes,  though  he  would  not  take  the  trouble  to  turn 
them. 

6.  At  length  an  occurrence  took  place,  which  revived,  in  some 
degree,  the  spirit  of  the  Saxons.  A  Saxon  noble,  being  besieged 
in  his  castle  by  a  renowned  Danish  general,  made  a  sally  upon  the 
enemy,  and  put  them  to  rout.  The  Danish  general  himself  w^as 
killed,  and  the  Raven,  a  consecrated  standard  in  which  the  Danes 
placed  great  confidence,  was  taken. 

7.  Alfred  was  glad  to  see  the  valor  of  his  people  returning.  Be- 
fore summoning  them  to  assemble  in  arms,  he  resolved  to  learn  by 


of  his  charity  ?    4.  5.  How  did  he  disguise  himself?     Wliat  anecdote  is  related  of  him  ? 
6.  What  revived  the  spirit  of  the  English?     7,  8.  What  did  Alfn-d  do  to  obtain  a  know 


32 


ALFRED  SUBDUES  THE  DANES. 


^ 


personai  observation  the  exact  strength  of  the  enemy,  that  he  might 
judge  of  the  probability  of  success. 


ijvi.'uuv|.',,  ^ 


ALFUKD   TIIK   (JKKA 


8.  Disguising  himself  as  a  harper,  he  entered  tiie  Danish  camp. 
When  QuJiiiraiii,  the  general  of  the  Danes,  heard  him  play  and  sing, 
he  was  so  much  pleased  with  him,  that  he  made  him  stay  for  some 
days  in  the  camp,  supposing  him  to  be  some  poor  minstrel. 

9.  Alfred  made  good  use  of  his  eyes  all  this  time.  He  observed 
that  the  Danes,  not  supposing  that  the  English  could  muster 
another  army  strong  enough  to  attack  them,  were  quite  off  their 
guard,  and  were  dancing  and  singing,  and  thought  of  nothing  but 
amusing  themselves. 

10.  The  king,  having  gained  all  the  knowledge  he  wanted,  slipped 
out  of  the  camp,  and  throwing  off  all  disguises,  summoned  his 
faithful  subjects  to  meet  him  near  Salwood  Forest.  The  English, 
who  had  believed  their  beloved  monarch  to  be  dead,  received  the 
summons  with  great  gladness,  and  joyfully  resorted  to  the  appointed 
place. 

11.  Alfred  did  not  allow  their  ardor  to  cool,  but  led  them  against 
the  enemy,  who  were  completely  defeated.  Instead  of  killing,  or 
making  slaves  of  the  prisoners,  as  was  often  done  in  that  barbarous 
age,  he  permitted  them,  upon  their  becoming  Christians,  and  prom- 
ising to  live  honestly,  to  remain  in  England.  They  established 
themselves  in  East  Anglia,  and  Northumberland;  but  they  and 
their  descendants  proved  very  troublesome  subjects. 


ledge  of  the  condition  of  the  Danes?  9.  What  did  he  observe  in  tlie  Danish  camp?  10. 
What  measure  did  he  in  consequence  adopt?  11.  What  was  his  success?  W^hat  did  he 
do  with  his  prisoners  ? 


ARCHITECTURE   OF    THE    ANGLO-SaXONs)"  US 

CHAPTEE    XIII. 

About  (he  Architecture  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. 

1.  After  the  victory  over  Giithram,  England  enjoyed  many 
years  of  peace  and  tranquillity.  These  were  devoted  by  Alfred  to 
repairing  the  mischief  which  had  been  done  by  the  Danes.  The 
churches  and  monasteries,  as  they  contained  the  greatest  riches,  so 
they  had  been  the  first  objects  of  attack  and  destruction. 

2.  To  repair  these  might  seem  no  very  difficult  matter,  for  most 
of  them  were  built  of  wood,  and  covered  with  thatch.  Stones  were 
only  used  in  building  castles,  and  strong  places  of  defence.  When 
the  Saxons  came  into  Britain,  they  found  a  great  many  beautiful 
palaces,  baths,  churches,  and  other  buildings  of  stone,  which  had 
been  erected  by  the  Romans. 

'  3.  Some  of  them  were  built  with  so  much  solidity  that  they  would 
have  remained  to  this  day,  if  they  had  not  been  wilfully  destroyed. 
This  was  done  by  the  Saxons,  who  made  it  a  rule  to  destroy  every 
town  or  castle  that  they  took,  instead  of  preserving  it  for  their 
own  use. 

4.  They  had  been  accustomed  to  live  in  wretched  hovels,  made 
of  earth,  or  wood,  and  covered  with  straw,  or  the  branches  of  trees; 
nor  did  they  much  improve  their  knowledge  of  architecture  for  200 
years  after  their  arrival  in  Britain. 

5.  Towards  the  close  of  the  seventh  century,  there  lived  two  cler- 
gymen, \i^ilij»d,  a  famous  bishop  of  York,  and  B^jjietlict,  founder 
of  the  monastery  of  Weremouth,  who  were  great  travellers.  Dur- 
ing their  frequent  visits  to  Rome,  they  had  acquired  some  taste  for 
architecture,  and  resolved  to  attempt  an  improvement  of  the  taste 
of  their  Saxon  countrymen. 

6.  "  In  the  year  ^Z4,"  says  Bede,  "  Benedict  crossed  the  sea  and 
brought  with  him  a  number  of  masons,  in  order  to  build  the  church 
of  his  monastery  of  stone,  after  the  Roman  manner,  of  which  he 
was  a  great  admirer.  When  the  work  was  far  advanced,  he  sent 
agents  into  France,  to  procure  glass-makers,  to  glaze  the  windows 
of  his  church  and  monastery. 

7.  "  These  not  only  performed  the  work  required  of  them,  but 
taught  the  English  the  art  of  making  glass  for  window^s,  lamps, 
drinking-vessels,  and  other  uses."  The  ancient  Britons,  indeed, 
were  acquainted  with  this  art,  but  the  Saxons  had  never  before 
acquired-it. 

8.  This  stone  building  with  glass  windows  was  an  object  of  great 
curiosity  and  admiration,  but  did  not  find  many  imitators.  When 
Alfred  resolved  to  rebuild  his  ruined  churches  and  monasteries,  and 
to  adorn  his  cities  with  stone  buildings,  he  was  obliged  to  send  to 
foreign  countries  for  workmen. 

XIII.— 1.  Wliat  had  bcon  the  objects  of  Danish  destruction?  2.  Wha  of  the  use  of 
Btone  for  buildinji?  3.  Wliat  of  the  Roman  buildings^  4.  What  of  the  early  architec- 
ture of  thr  Saxons'*-  .5.  Wlio  introduced  the  use  of  stone?     6.7.  What  other  art  wa« 


34  LEARNING    OF   THE   ANGLO-SAXONS. 

9.  But  even  now  the  use  of  stone  did  not  become  general,  and 
glass  windows  were  only  to  be  seen  in  churches.  Long  after  Al- 
fred's time,  the  Anglo-Saxon  nobles  gave  their  feasts,  and  spent 
their  great  revenues,  in  low  and  inconvenient  wooden  structures, 
into  \\^ich  the  light  was  admitted  through  holes  cut  in  the  walls, 
and  covered  with  lattice-work,  or,  in  stormy  weather,  with  cloth. 

10.  The  Anglo-Saxon  architecture  seems  to  have  been  a  rude 
imitation  of  the  ancient  Roman  manner.  The  most  admired 
churches  were  low  and  gloomy,  their  pillars  plain  and  clumsy,  the 
Avails  very  thick,  and  the  windows  few  and  small,  with  semicircular 
arches  at  the  top. 


Jk 


CHAPTEE    XIV. 

Of  the  Learning  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. — The  Clergy. 


1.  When  the  Romans  invaded  Britain,  they  instnicted  and  im- 
proved those  whom  they  subdued.  But  darkness  and  desolation 
marked  the  course  of  the  fierce  and  illiterate  Saxons. 

2.  As  you  may  well  suppose,  Alfred  was  a  liberal  encourager  of 
learning.  He  established  many  schools,  and  founded  the  University 
at  Oxford.  There  had  been  a  seminary  at  this  place  in  more  an- 
cient times,  but  the  ravages  of  war  had  ruined  it. 

3.  There  were  many  impediments  to  progress  in  learning  in  those 
days.  Books  were  very  scarce  and  dear,  so  that  few  but  kings  and 
rich  monasteries  could  afford  to  buy  them.  Alfred  gave  a  great 
estate  in  land  for  a  single  volume  on  geography. 

4.  Paper  was  not  yet  invented,  and  parchment  enough  could  not 
be  had  for  a  great  supply  of  books.  Neither  was  printing  invented 
till  a  long  time  afterward,  so  that  all  books  had  to  be  written,  and 
but  few  people  were  acquainted  with  that  art.  There  are  a  few 
Saxon  manuscripts  now  remaining,  and  some  of  them  are  very 
beautifully  written. 

5.  There  was  another  difficulty  in  the  way  of  acquiring  know- 
ledge. There  were  no  signs  or  ^^^cfcrs  t<^  express  numbers,  except 
the  Roman  letters,  I,  V, 'C,  D,  IVJ/.'  Tbe  study  of  arithmetic  was 
pronounced  by  Aldhelm  to  be  almost  too  difficult  for  the  mind  of 
man.  It  was  made  easier  by  the  use  of  the  figures  1,  2,  3,  4,  &c., 
which  were  invented  by  the  Arabians,  and  introduced  into  England 
about  the  year  liSO. 

6.  This  Aldhelm  whom  I  have  quoted  was  a  learned  Saxon 
bishop,  who  lived  in  the  seventh  century.  Alfred  declared  him  to 
be  the  best  of  Saxon  poets.  He  had  a  fine  voice,  and  great  skill  in 
music  as  well  as  poetry. 

introdncpd?    8.  How  was  the  example  followed  ?    9.  What  of  the  houses  of  the  nobles  ? 
10.  What  of  Anglo-Saxon  architecture?     Describe  the  churches. 

XIV.— 1.  Wliat  of  the  Saxon  attention  to  learning?  2.  What  did  Alfred  do  for  learn- 
ing? What  university  did  he  found?  3.  What  is  said  of  books?  4.  What  of  the 
Saxon  manuscripts?  5.  What  other  difficulty  in  the  way  of  acquiring  knowledge?  By 
wh(xni  were  the  present  figures  invented?    When  introduced  into  England?     6   Wlial 


ALFRED  ENCOURAGES  THE  ARTS.  do 

7.  Observing  the  dislike  of  his  countrymen  to  listen  to  regulai 
instruction,  he  composed  a  number  of  little  poems,  which  he  sang 
to  them  at  church,  in  the  place  of  delivering  a  long  sermon.  He 
did  this  in  so  sweet  a  manner,  that  they  were  gradually  instructed 
and  civilized. 

8.  What  little  learning  there  was,  was  confined  to  the  clergy. 
The  great  body  of  these  could  do  no  niore  than  read  the  Missal,  as 
the  Koman  Catholic  book  of  prayer  is  called.  It  is  not  uncommon 
to  find  in  the  ancient  deeds  a  sentence  like  the  following :  "  As  my 
lord  bishop  could  not  write  his  own  name,  I  have  subscribed." 

9.  At  first,  the  clergy  lived  in  large  houses  called  moyiasteries, 
and  were  a  society  by  themselves.  These  were  generally  sur- 
rounded by  beautiful  gardens,  in  which  the  inmates  might  take 
exercise.  Such  as  were  competent  occupied  themselves  in  teach- 
ing the  young.  To  each  monastery  was  attached  a  church  in  which 
was  regular  preaching. 

10.  Besides  these,  there  were  no  other  churches  in  the  kingdom, 
except  the  large  ones  at  which  the  bishops  attended,  hence  called 
cathedrals,  of  which  there  was  one  in  each  diocese,  as  the  district  is 
called  of  which  a  bishop  has  the  care. 

11.  When  the  monasteries  were  destroyed  by  the  Danes,  the 
clergy  took  refuge  in  the  villages.  Churches  were  built  for  them 
to  preach  in,  separate  from  monasteries.  After  a  time  many  of 
these  priests  married,  and  lived  among  their  parishioners,  as  clergy- 
men do  now.  They  became  so  much  attached  to  their  new  homes, 
that  when  Alfred  had  rebuilt  the  monasteries,  and  wanted  the  old 
inhabitants  to  go  back,  many  refused  to  return. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


i>^  w 


Alfred  encourages  the  Arts. — About  the  English  Navy. — Death  of 
Alfred. — Reign  of  Edward  the  Elder. 

1.  Alfred  also  took  great  pains  to  improve  his  subjects  in  the 
useful  and  ingenious  arts,  and  invited  many  skilful  foreign  work- 
men to  instruct  them.  The  English  goldsmiths  soon  became  very 
expert.  We  have  evidence  of  their  skill  in  a  golden  ornament  of 
very  beautiful  workmanship,  which  was  found  at  Athglimy,  and 
which  is  supposed  to  have  been  worn  by  Alfred. 

2.  Atlielney  was  the  place  where  he  concealed  himself  in  his 
distress,  and  where  he  sometimes  resided  in  his  prosperity.  The 
ornament  is  beautifully  engraved  with  various  figures,  and  bears 
this  inscription  in  Saxon  characters:  "Alfred  commanded  me  to 
be  made." 

of  Aldhelm?    7.  What  mode  did  he  adopt  to  instruct  the  people?    8.  Who  possessed 
all  the  learning?    What  of  their  leai'ning?    9.  How  did  tlie  clergy  live  at  first?    10. 
Wliit  of  the  churches?    What  is  a  cathedral ?    What  a  diocese?    11.  What  change  iu 
their  mode  of  life  was  caused  by  the  Danes? 
XV  —1.  What  did  Alfred  do  for  the  arts?     What  of  the  skill  of  the  goldsmiths?    Wha< 


86 


THE   ENGLISH    NAVY. 


3.  But  the  workmen  most  highly  regarded  were  the  blacksmiths 
because  Ihey  could  make  swords,  and  other  instruments  of  war. 
Every  soldier  of  rank  was  constantly  attended  by  his  smith,  to  keep 
his  arms  in  order.  The  chief  smith  was  an  officer  of  great  dignity 
at  court.  At  table  he  sat  next  to  the  priest,  and  was  entitled  to  'a 
draught  of  every  kind  of  liquor  brought  into  the  hall. 


alfup:d  thk  great, 

4.  Alfred  was  very  desirous  of  creating  a  strong  naval  force,  con- 
sidering that  to  be  the  surest  defence  against  the  Danes.  But  he 
had  great  difficulties  to  struggle  with.  His  subjects  knew  nothing 
of  ship-building,  so  he  was  obliged  to  get  foreign  ship-builders. 

5.  In  time  his  own  subjects  learned  how  to  build  ships,  but  there 
was  a  new  difficulty — he  liad  no  sailors.  These  were  also  procured 
from  other  countries,  and  at  last  a  considerable  fleet  was  got  together. 

6.  This  fleet  did  not  prove  a  very  effectual  defence,  for  the  Danes 
coming  in  330  vessels,  under  a  famous  leader  named  Hasting,  suc- 
ceeded in  landing  in  Kent.  A  long  contest  ensued.  At  length  the 
wife  and  children  of  Hastings  were  taken  prisoners.  Alfred  gave 
them  back  on  condition  that  all  the  Danes  should  leave  the  country. 

7.  The  remainder  of  the  reign  of  this  truly  great  king  was  pros- 
perous. He  lived  beloved  by  his  subjects,  feared  by  his  enemies, 
and  admired  by  all  mankind.  The  English — and,  as  their  descend- 
ants, we — are  indebted  to  the  wisdom  of  Alfred  for  many  very  useful 
laws,  and  valuable  rights. 


evidence  haTO  we  of  it?    3.  Who  were  the  workmen  most  highly  regarded?     Why?     4. 
What  is  said  of  Alfred's  navy?    6.  What  of  a  new  attack  by  the  Dan«>s?    7.  What  vain- 


KJIIGN    OF    EDWARD   THE    ELDEK.  37 

8.  Amongst  the  rest,  he  instituted  the  right  of  trial  by  jury ;  that 
is,  the  right  of  being  tried  and  condemned  by  twelve  of  our  eqiials, 
before  we  are  punished  for  any  offence,  or  deprived  of  any  estate  or 
privilege.  Something  like  this  had  existed  among  the  Saxons  from 
the  earliest  times,  but  Alfred  first  reduced  it  to  a  regular  system, 
and  secured  it  by  positive  laws. 

9.  Alfred  died  in  901,  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  son  Edward,  surnamed  the  Elder,  because  he  was 
the  first  king  of  that  name  in  England.  He  was  equal  to  his  father 
as  a  warrior,  but  greatly  inferior  to  him  in  science  and  literature. 
He  had  a  sister  named  Ethelfledji,  who  was  as  fond  of  war  as  himself, 
and  who  assisted  him  in  many  enterprises.     Edward  died  in  925. 


CHAPTER   XVL 


t 


Adventure  of  Aulaff, —  The  Long  Battle. —  Character  of  Athelstan.— 

His  Death. 

1.  Edward  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Athelstan.  We 
have  neglected  to  tell  you  that  all  these  Saxon  names  have  a 
meaning.  Some  of  them  were  undoubtedly  given  for  some  personal 
peculiarity. 

2.  Thus,  Egbert  means  bright  eye;  and  Alfred's  wife's  father  was 
called  3Iuci,  that  is,  large.  Caprice  appears  to  have  dictated  the 
choice  oFothers,  for  as  they  were  bestowed  by  the  parents  in  infancy, 
little  could  have  been  known  of  the  qualities  of  the  bearers.  Thus, 
we  have  Ethelred,  7ioble  in  council;  Edward,  the  prosperous  guardian; 
Edwin,  p>rospe7'ous  in  battle,  &c.     Athelstan  means  the  noble  stone. 

3.  The  reign  of  Athelstan,  like  that  of  his  father,  was  a  continual 
conflict  with  the  Danes.  One  of  their  generals,  called  Aulaff,  tried 
the  stratagem  that  had  been  practised  with  so  much  success  by 
Alfred.  He  disguised  himself  like  a  minstrel,  and  went  into 
Athelstan's  camp. 

4.  The  king  was  much  pleased  with  his  music,  acd,  thinking  he 
was  a  poor  boy,  gave  him  a  piece  of  money.  Aulaff'  was  too  proud 
to  keep  it,  and  when  he  got  out  of  the  king's  tent,  and  thought 
nobody  was  in  sight,  he  buried  it  in  the  ground. 

5.  It  happened  that  a  soldier  saw  him,  and,  thinking  this  very 
strange,  examined  the  pretended  minstrel's  face,  and  knew  him  to 
be  Prince  Aulaff,  but  did  not  attempt  to  obstruct  his  departure. 
When  the  Danish  prince  had  got  to  a  safe  distance,  the  soldier 
informed  Athelstan  of  the  discovery  he  had  made. 

6.  The  king  reproved  him  for  letting  such  a  dangerous  enemy 
escape.     "  I  once  served  Aulaff,"  replied  the  man,  "  and  gave  him 

able  right  did  Alfred  secure  to  the  people  ?     9.  When  did  Alfred  die  ?    Who  succeeded 
him  ?     What  is  said  of  Edward  the  Elder  ?     "When  did  he  die  ? 

XA'I.— 1.  Who  succeeded  Edward?  What  is  said  of  the  Saxon  names?  2.  Give  the 
meaning  of  some  of  them.    3,  4,  5,  6.  Relate  tlio  adventure  of  Aulaff.    7.  What  followe*" 


38  CHARACTER    OF    ATHELSTAN. 

the  same  faith  that  I  have  now  given  to  you ;  and  if  I  had  betrayed 
him,  what  trust  weuld  you  have  reposed  in  my  truth?  Let  him 
die,  if  such  be  his  fate,  but  not  through  my  treachery.  Secure 
yourself  from  danger,  and  remove  your  tent,  lest  he  should  assail 
you  unawares." 

7.  Athelstan  was  pleased  with  the  honest  soldier's  answer,  and 
took  his  advice.  It  was  well  he  did,  for  that  very  night  Aulaif, 
with  a  chosen  band,  broke  into  the  camp,  and  killed  a  bishop  who 
had  pitched  his  tent  upon  the  spot  where  the  king's  had  stood. 

8.  The  noise  of  the  attack  waked  the  Saxons,  and  the  battle 
became  general.  It  lasted  all  that  night,  and  all  the  following  day, 
and  is  distinguished  in  Saxon  history  by  the  name  of  the  long  battle. 
It  ended  in  Athelstan 's  gaining  a  complete  victory,  which  secured 
to  him  the  peaceful  possession  of  his  kingdom, 

9.  Athelstan  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  of  the  ancient  princes. 
One  law  which  he  made  certainly  affords  proof  of  liberality  and 
enlargement  of  mind.  He  decreed  that  any  merchant  who  had 
made  three  long  sea-voyages  on  his  own  account  should  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  rank  of  a  thane. 

10.  He  was  most  courteous  in  his  manners,  and  was  much  be- 
loved by  his  subjects.  It  is  related  that  his  hair  was  bright  yellow, 
and  that  he  wore  it  beautifully  plaited.  He  died  in  941,  in  the 
forty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  sixteenth  of  his  reign. 


CHAPTEK  XVII. 

How  Edmund,  a  brave  king,  was  murdered. — About  Edred. — 
St.  Dunstan.^-How  he  resisted  the  temptations  of  the  Devil. 

1.  Edmund,  a  brother  of  Athelstan,  succeeded  to  the  throne. 
He  was  only  eighteen  years  old.  The  Danes,  whom  Alfred  had 
permitted  to  settle  in  Northumberland,  had  caused  great  trouble 
in  the  country.  They  were  continually  rising  in  rebellion,  and 
attempting  to  establish  an  independent  government. 

2.  Aulaif,  whose  adventure  I  have  related  to  you,  was  now  their 
prince.  He  had  escaped  from  the  long  battle,  and  taken  refuge  in 
Ireland.  The  youth  and  inexperience  of  the  king  gave  him  hopes 
of  better  success  in  a  new  attempt.  He  collected  a  large  army, 
which  was  totally  defeated  by  the  English  under  Edmund,  and  the 
whole  country  was  reduced  to  submission. 

3.  Edmund  had  displayed  so  much  wisdom  and  courage,  that  there 
was  every  hope  his  reign  would  be  a  happy  one,  when  a  sudden 
end  was  put  to  it.     He  was  sitting  at  a  feast,  with  all  his  nobles 

it?     8.  What  is  the  battle  which  succeeJed  called?    9.  What  of  Athelstan?    What  law 
(lid  he  make?     10.  When  did  he  die? 

XVII.— 1.  Who  succeeded  Athelstan  ?  What  of  the  Northumberland  Dane^?  2.  What 
nf  AuHfT?     What  was  the  success  of  his  new  attempt?    3,  4.  Relate  the   manner  of 


ABOUT    ST.    DUNSTAN.  39 

about  him,  when  a  notorious  robber,  named  Leolf,  whom  he  had 
banished  from  the  kingdom,  had  the  audacity  to  come  into  the  hall, 
and  take  a  seat  at  the  table. 

4.  The  king  ordered  him  to  leave  the  room,  but  Leolf  refused  to 
obey.  Enraged  at  this  fresh  insult,  the  king  sprang  from  his  seat, 
and,  seizing  him  by  the  hair,  threw  him  down.  The  robber,  upon 
this,  drew  his  dagger,  and  stabbed  the  king  to  the  heart.  Thus  died 
this  hopeful  young  prince,  when  he  was  only  twenty-four  years  old, 
in  the  year  948. 

5.  Edmund  left  two  little  sons,  named  Edwy  and  Edgar,  but 
they  were  so  young  that  Edred,  his  brother,  was  acknowledged  as 
king.  At  the  commencement  of  his  reign  the  Danes  again  re- 
belled, but  were  speedily  subdued.  He  took  eifectual  means  to 
prevent  their  disturbing  the  peace  of  the  kingdom. 

6.  He  no  longer  allowed  them  to  be  governed  by  a  prince  of  their 
own  race,  but  placed  an  English  governor  over  them.  English 
troops  were  fixed  in  all  the  principal  towns. 

7.  Edred  would  have  led,  on  the  whole,  a  quiet  life,  if  he  had  not 
suffered  himself  to  be  governed  by  an  ambitious  priest  called  ^ 
^UBstan.  He  was  an  Englishman,  of  noble  family,  who  was  edu- 
cated for  the  church.  To  acquire  a  character  foj  sanctity,  he  se- 
cluded himself  from  the  world.  He  had  a  cell  made,  so  small  that 
he  could  neither  stand  upright  in  it,  nor  stretch  out  his  limbs  when 
he  lay  down. 

8.  Here  he  employed  himself  perpetually,  either  in  devotion,  or 
in  making  useful  and  ingenious  things  of  iron  and  brass.  Many 
foolish  stories  are  told  of  the  temptations  to  which  he  was  subjected. 
He  fancied  that  the  devil,  assuming  a  human  shape,  made  him  fre- 
quent visits. 

9.  One  day,  as  he  was  busily  at  work,  the  devil  popped  his  head 
into  the  window,  and  asked  him  to  make  something  for  him.  St. 
Dunstan,  soon  finding  out  who  it  was,  seized  him  by  the  nose  with  a 
pair  of  red-hot  tongs,  and  held  him  there,  whilst  he  bellowed  most 
lustily. 

10.  These,  and  a  thousand  other  stories  equally  ridiculous,  were 
seriously  told,  and  implicitly  believed  by  the  people,  and  gained  for 
Dunstan  the  reputation  which  he  desired.  He  now  appeared  in  the 
world  again,  and  soon  gained  such  an  influence  over  Edred,  that 
the  king  consulted  him  not  only  about  matters  of  religion,  but  en- 
trusted to  him  the  management  of  the  affairs  of  state. 

Ednmrid's  death.  5.  Who  succeeded  Edmund?  6.  What  means  did  he  adopt  to  keep 
the  Danes  in  subjection?  7.  Who  was  Dunstan?  What  did  he  do  to  acquire  a  reputa- 
tion ?  8,  9.  What  r  idiculons  stories  are  related  of  him  ?  10.  What  was  the  consequence 
of  these  stories  ? 


/ 


40        ,  THE    MONKS. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

About  the  Monks,  and  the  Secular  Clergy. — Story  of  Edwy  and  Elgivcu 
— How  St.  Dunstan  gained  a  great  injiaence  with  the  people, 

1.  Still  further  to  increase  his  power  and  influence,  Dunstan 
resolved  to  make  an  innovation  in  the  church,  as  it  existed  in 
England.  The  change  had  already  been  made  in  olher  countries. 
This  was  by  the  introduction  of  a  new  order  of  clergy,  called 
monks. 

2.  These  secluded  themselves  entirely  from  the  world,  and  lived 
in  monasteries.  They  were  bound  by  a  vow  to  live  according  to  a 
certain  system  or  rule.  By  this  they  were  required  to  remain  un- 
married, to  be  content  with  coarse  fare,  and  hard  beds.  They  were 
also  bound  to  yield  implicit  obedience,  in  all  things,  to  the  head  of 
the  monastery,  who  was  called  the  Abbot,  or  the  Superior. 

3.  The  old  clergy  were  called  Seculars ;  and  between  the  two 
bodies  a  furious  contest  at  once  arose,  which  agitated  the  whole 
kingdom,  and  finally  produced  a  civil  war.  The  secular  clergy 
were  very  numerous  and  rich,  and  possessed  of  all  the  offices  in  the 
church ;  but  Dunstan  wielded  all  the  power  of  the  king,  who  had 
become  indolent,  and  helpless  from  ill  health,  and  permitted  him 
to  do  whatever  he  pleased. 

4.  Edred  died  in  _055.  Edwy,  the  oldest  son  of  Edmund,  then 
succeeded  to  the  throne.  He  was  not  above  sixteen  yeai-s  old.  He 
was  possessed  of  virtues  and  abilities  which  would  have  made  him 
a  great  favorite  with  the  people,  had  he  not,  unhappily,  engaged  in 
the  religious  disputes,  and  taken  part  with  the  secular  priests,  in 
opposition  to  the  monks. 

5.  An  act  of  Edwy's  was,  by  the  cruelty  and  hard-heartedness  of 
St.  Dunstan,  made  the  means  of  destroying  not  only  the  happiness, 
but  also  the  life  of  that  prince.  Edwy  had  a  beautiful  cousin,  ;^- 
giva,  whom  he  loved  very  dearly,  and  whom  he  married. 

6.  St.  Dunstan,  and  Oda  another  churchman  completely  undei 
his  control,  declared  it  tol9e  sinful  for  a  man  to  marry  his  cousin, 
and  did  all  they  could  to  disturb  their  happiness.  The  king  now 
called  upon  Dunstan  to  give  an  account  of  the  money  which  he  had 
received  as  treasurer  of  the  kingdom.  Being  unable  to  do  this, 
Dunstan  was  banished  from  the  country. 

7.  Tliough  absent,  he  was  not  idle.  He  excited  Edgar,  who  was 
still  a  boy,  to  raise  a  rebellion  against  his  brother,  and  as  soon  as 
he  had  assembled  an  army,  joined  him  in  person.  Meanwhile,  Odo 
contrived  to  seize  on  the  poor  queen,  cruelly  burned  her  face  with 
hot  irons,  in  order  to  destroy  her  beauty,  and  then  had  her  carried 
to  Ireland,  where  she  was  kept  a  prisoner. 

XVIII. — 1.  What  change  did  St.  Dunstan  make  in  the  church?  2.  What  is  said  of  the 
monks?  By  whom  were  tliey  governed?  3.  What  were  the  old  clergy  called?  What 
is  said  of  the  two  parties?  4.  When  did  Edred  die?  Who  succeeded  him?  What  of 
Edwy?  5.  What  did  Edwy  do?  6.  What  did  Dunstan  declare?  Why  was  he  banished 
from  the  countrj"?    7-  What  did  Dunstan  do?     What  became  of  KIgiva?    8.  What  of 


EDGAR   THE   PEACEABLE.  41 

8.  The  i^eople  regarded  Dunstan  as  a  saint,  and  their  superstitious 
reverence  was  kept  up  by  pretended  messages  from  heaven.  Cruci- 
fixes, altars,  and  even  horses,  were  said  to  have  been  gifted  with  the 
power  of  spee'ch,  in  order  to  harangue  in  his  favor. 

9.  By  the  assistance  of  these  pretended  miracles,  which  were  fully 
believed  by  the  people,  the  monks  prevailed.  Edwy  was  deprived 
of  the  larger  part  of  his  dominions.  To  complete  his  afflictions,  his 
beloved  Elgiva,  having  escaped  from  Ireland,  got  as  fai*  as  Glouces- 
ter, on  her  way  to  join  him  ;  there  she  was  discovered  by  her  savage 
persecutors,  who  put  her  to  deatli.  Edwv  died  of  a  broken  heart, 
in  959. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Edgar  the  Peaceable. — Reign  and  Death  of  Edward  the  Martyr. 

1.  Edgar,  the  next  king,  was  only  sixteen  years  old  when  he  be- 
came sole  sovereign  of  the  whole  kingdom,  of  a  large  portion  of 
which  his  rebellious  arms  had  before  made  him  master.  He  was 
completely  governed  by  St.  Dunstan,  and  other  meddling  monks, 
who,  in  return,  wrote  the  history  of  his  life,  and  praised  him  as  the 
best  king  that  ever  lived. 

2.  It  is  difficult  to  tell  how  much  of  their  praise  he  deserved. 
They  represent  him  not  only  as  a  great  statesman,  and  a  man  of 
great  abilities,  but  also  as  a  saint  and  a  man  of  great  virtue.  .  We 
know  that  he  has  no  claims  to  the  latter  character,  but  that  he  was 
a  consummate  hypocrite,  who,  whilst  he  was  falsely  charging  the 
secular  clergy  with  various  wickednesses,  was  himself  guilty  of  the 
most  enormous  crimes. 

3.  He  seems,  however,  to  have  been  an  active  prince,  and  to  have 
governed  his  kingdom  with  wisdom.  Many  good  laws  were  made 
by  him,  and  justice  was  so  well  administered,  that  travellers- had  no 
loDger  any  fear  of  robbers.  We  are  also  told,  as  a  proof  of  his 
power,  that  having  occasion  to  pass  by  water  from  one  place  to 
anotlier,  he  was  rowed  in  his  barge  by  eight  tributary  princes. 

4.  It  also  appears  certain  that  he  attended  diligently  to  the  naval 
uliairs  of  his  kingdom ;  he  had  so  large  a  tleet,  that  the  Danes  never 
'entured  to  molest  him.  To  make  his  sailors  expert,  he  kept  his 
ships  constantly  sailing  round  the  island. 

5.  Whilst  he  was  totally  regardless  of  his  own  morals,  he  was 
very  careful  about  those  of  his  subjects.  Instead  of  setting  them  a 
good  example,  he  endeavored  to  promote  religion  by  laws.    Amongst 

the  feelings  of  the  people  ?     What  artifices  were  xised  to  excite  their  feelings  ?    &.  Which 
party  provailod?     What  became  of  Elgiva?     "When  did  Edwy  die? 

XIX.— 1.  AVho  succeeded  Edwy?  By  whom  was  Edgar  governed?  2.  What  of  tlie 
character  of  Edgar?  3.  What  of  the  state  of  the  kingdom?  What  instauce  of  his 
power?     4.  What  of  the  navy?     5.  What  laAv  did  he  make?     r,.   What  tribftle  did  \w 


4  * 


42  REIGN    AND    DEATH    OF    EDWARD. — A.  D.  975. 

others,  he  ordained  that  every  Sunday  should  be  strictly  observed, 
and  should  begin  at  three  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon,  and  end 
at  sunrise  on  Monday. 

6.  Wales,  and  a  great  pai't  of  England,  were  at  thi§  time  infested 
by  wolves.  To  get  rid  of  them,  Edgar  commanded  that  instead  of 
the  annual  tribute  in  money  and  cattle,  which  the  Welsh  kings  were 
bound  to  pay  him,  they  should  bring  three  hundred  wolves'  heads 
yearly.  This  plan  succeeded  so  well  that  in  three  years  the  whole 
race  was  nearly  exterminated. 

7.  After  having  reigned  seventeen  years,  Edgar  died  in  975.  His 
reign  was  so  free  from  wars  and  tumults,  that  he  obtained  the  title 
of  Edgar  the  Peaceable.  He  left  two  sons,  Ed^^d,  the  son  of  Ms 
first  wife,  and  Ethelred,  whose  mother,  Elfrida,  was  yet  living. 

8.  Elfrida  was  ambftious  that  her  son  should  be  king,  instead  of 
his  half-brother ;  but  the  influence  of  that  bustling  priest,  Dunstan, 
placed  the  crown  on  the  head  of  Edward.  This  poor  young  man 
behaved  kindly  and  gently  to  everybody,  and  very  liberally  to  his 
ambitious  step-mother ;  but  this  did  not  prevent  her  from  contriving 
his  death. 

9.  One  day,  when  he  was  hunting  near  Corfe  Castle,  in  Dorset- 
shire, where  Elfrida  lived,  he  rode  up  to  the  castle,  entirely  alone, 
and  unsuspicious  of  ill,  to  make  the  queen  a  passing  visit.  Elfrida 
received  him  with  much  pretended  kindness,  and,  as  he  declined 
dismounting,  she  presented  him  with  a  cup  of  wine. 

10.  While  he  was  drinking,  she  stabbed  him  in  the  back.  Edward, 
finding  himself  wounded,  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  galloped  off, 
but,  becoming  weak  from  loss  of  blood,  he  fell  from  his  horse,  and 
was  dragged  by  the  stirrup  till  he  was  dead. 

11.  As  Elfrida  was  the  head  of  the  party  opposed  to  the  monks, 
they  chose  to  consider  Edward  as  having  fallen  in  the  cause  of  re 
ligion,  and  styled  him  Edivard  the  Martyr.  They  affirmed,  and  the 
superstitious  people  readily  believed,  that  many  miracles  were  per- 
formed at  his  tomb. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

Ethelred  II.  succeeds  to  the  throne. — About  Penance. — Indulgences.— 
The  Butter  Tower. 

1.  Ethelred  was  only  ten  years  old  w'hen  the  wickedness  of  his, 
mother  thus  raised  him  to  the  throne.  Being  of  an  amiable  disposi- 
tion, he  was  much  affected  by  the  death  of  his  brother,  and  shed 
many  tears.  This  looked  like  a  reproach  to  his  mother,  who  became 
very  angry ;  nothing  else  being  at  hand,  she  seized  a  large  wax  can- 
dle and  beat  the  poor  boy  almost  to  death. 

require  of  Wales?     Why?    7.  When  did  he  die?     What  sons  did  he  leave?     8.  Who 

succeeded  him?    9,10.  Relate  the  particuhirs  of  his  death.    11.  What  was  ho  surnanied  ? 

XX.- -1.  How  did  Ethelred  boav  his  iirotlipr's  death?     2,  What  did  his  mother  do? 


ABOUT   PENANCE. — ^A.  D.    975.  43 

2.  It  is  said  that  Ethelred  never  forgot  this  beating,  and  that  to 
the  day  of  his  death  he  could  not  bear  the  sight  of  a  wax  candle ! 
Though  his  wicked  mother  had  now  obtained  the  object  of  her  am- 
bition, she  was,  as  we  may  well  believe,  anything  but  happy. 

3.  In  those  superstitious  times,  when  any  one  had  committed  an 
offence,  instead  of  making  amends  for  it  by  sincere  repentance,  and 
by  repairing,  to  the  utmost,  the  harm  he  had  done,  the  monks  used 
to  persuade  him  that  it  could  be  completely  atoned  for  by  doing 
penance. 

4.  To  do  penance  was  often  to  go  barefoot,  or  to  sleep  on  a  hard 
board.  The  Saxons  were  very  fond  of  bathing  in  warm  water,  but 
had  a  great  aversion  to  bathing  in  cold  water.  One  of  the  most 
common  penances  required  of  those  who  had  been  guilty  of  great 
sins  was  to  abstain  from  the  warm  bath ;  or,  if  they  had  been  par- 
ticularly enormous,  to  substitute  cold  water  for  warm. 

5.  To  the  rich  these  penances  were  of  very  little  consequence, 
since  they  might  always  buy  off  their  punishments.  For  instance, 
if  a  rich  man  was  ordered  to  fast  for  a  week,  as  a  penance,  he  was 
considered  to  have  performed  it,  if  he  hired  seven  men  to  fast  for 
one  day. 

6.  Indulgences,  as  they  are  called,  were  also  to  be  bought ;  that 
is,  permission  to  commit  crimes.  It  was  against  the  rules  of  the 
established  church  to  eat  butter  during  the  season  of  fasting  called 
Lent ;  and  we  have  an  account  of  a  church  at  Eouen,  in  France, 
one  of  the  towers  of  which  is  called  the  Butter  Tower,  because  it 
was  built  with  money  that  was  paid  for  indulgences  to  eat  butter 
during  Lent. 

7.  Rich  sinners  were  exhorted  to  build  churches  and  monasteries, 
and  to  give  them  great  revenues  for  the  support  of  the  monks,  who 
pretended  to  pass  their  whole  time  in  thinking  of  holy  things,  and 
in  prayers,  and  they  promised  that  the  benefactors  of  their  respective 
societies  should  be  constantly  remembered  in  them. 

8.  The  ignorant  and  superstitious  laymen  were  easily  persuaded 
that  the  prayers  of  such  holy  men  must  be  more  eflHcacious  than 
their  own.  In  the  course  of  time  a  very  large  portion  of  the 
property  of  the  country  came  into  the  possession  of  the  churchmen. 
This  was  so  great  an  evil  tlmt  laws  were  made  forbidding  any  per- 
son to  make  gifts  of  land  to  the  church. 

9.  Elfrida  founded  monasteries,  performed  penances,  and  did  all 
that  the  priests  required,  but  none  of  these  things  could  calm  the 
upbraidings  of  her  own  conscience,  or  restore  her  peace  of  mind. 
At  last  she  retired  to  a  monastery,  where  she  passed  the  remaind^i 
of  her  life  in  fasting  and  prayer. 

What  of  his  mother?  3.  How  were  offences  atoned  for  in  those  times?  4.  What  are 
Bonie  instances  of  penance?  5.  How  did  the  rich  perform  tlieir  penances?  6.  What 
were  indulgences?  Wliat  of  the  Butter  Tower?  7.  Wliat  other  things  were  recom- 
mended to  the  ricli?    8.  What  was  the  consequence?    9.  What  further  of  Elfrida? 


-^ 


44        THE    DANES    RENEW   THIJIR   INCURSIONS. — A.  D.    1)80. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Danes  renew  their  Incursions. —  They  are  bribed  with  money  f^ 
depart,  but  appear  again  the  next  year, — Peace  at  length  made 
with  them. 

1.  It  was  now  a  long  time  since  England  had  been  troubled  by- 
incursions  of  the  Danes.  This  was  in  part  owing  to  the  good  state 
of  preparation  for  defence  in  which  the  kingdom  had  been  kept, 
and  in  part  to  the  fact  that  the  Danes  found  sufficient  employment 
in  another  quarter. 

2.  A  body  of  them,  under  the  command  of  Rollo,  had  gained  a 
settlement  in  France.  They  were  called  Northmen,  or  Normans, 
by  the  French,  and  the  district  of  France  in  which  they  settled  was 
hence  called  Normandy.  This  settlement  employed  all  their  super- 
fluous population  for  many  years. 

3.  In  980,  a  small  band  of  adventurers  landed  upon  the  coast  of 
England,  and,  after  ravaging  the  country  for  some  extent,  escaped 
with  their  booty.  These  piratical  incursions  were  continued  for 
several  years. 

4.  Emboldened  by  their  success,  and  encouraged  by  the  dis- 
tracted state  of  England,  if  not  by  the  direct  invitation  olDunstan, 
or  of  his  partisans  the  monks,  for  he  himself  died  in  988,  tl  e  Danes 
came  in  991  with  a  great  force.  Ethelred  had  sufficient  warning, 
and  ample  time  to  prepare,  but  yet  had  made  no  pro\ision  for 
defence.     Hence  he  has  been  called  Ethelred  the  Unready. 

5.  The  Danes  advanced  into  the  heart  of  the  country,  and  Ethel- 
red was  obliged  to  resort  to  the  disgraceful  expedient  of  paying 
them  a  large  sum  of  money  to  go  away.  This,  to  be  sure,  at  that 
time  they  did ;  but  it  was  only  to  return  again  the  next  year,  in 
hopes  of  being  again  bribed. 

6.  Ethelred  was  now  better  prepared,  and  would  have  destroyed 
their  whole  fleet,  but  for  the  treachery  of  one  of  his  nobles,  who 
deserted  to  the  enemy,  and  gave  them  such  information  of  the 
plans  of  the  English  as  enabled  them  to  escape  with  the  loss  of 
only  one  ship. 

7.  In  their  next  expedition,  the  Danes  were  commanded  by 
Sweyn,  their  king.  They  remained  two  years,  pillaging  the  country 
in  various  i)arts.  They  were  at  length  induced  to  depart,  by  the 
gift  of  a  very  large  sum  of  money.  But  the  kingdom  gained  only 
one  year's  rest  from  these  marauders,  for  they  again  returned,  and 
were  again  bribed  to  leave  the  country. 

8.  Sweyn  had  a  sister  named  Gunilda,  who  was  a  woman  of  great 
virtue  and  abilities.    She  was  married  to  an  English  nobleman,  and 

XXI. — 1.  What  of  the  Danes?  2.  IIow  had  they  been  occupied?  3.  When  did  they 
reapptar  in  England?  4.  M  hi-n  did  Dnnstan  die:  What  was  Ethelred  called?  Why? 
6.  How  were  the  Danes  indnc<'d  to  depart?     6.  What  was  their  success  the  next  year! 


MASSACRE    OF    THE    DANES    IN    ENGLAND. — A.  1       JU02.        4D 

had  become  a  Christian.     She  had  long  beheld  with  grief  and  hor- 
ror th3  devastations  committed  by  her  countrymen. 

9.  By  her  intercession,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  made  between  the 
English  and  the  Danes.  She  offered  herself,  her  husband,  and  her 
only  son,  as  sureties  for  the  fidelity  of  the  Danes,  whose  repeated 
breaches  of  faith  had  rendered  the  English  completely  distrustful 
of  them. 

10.  As  an  additional  protection,  Ethelred  married  Emma,  daugh- 
ter of  Richard,  Duke  of  Normandy,  a  descendant  of  liollo.  He 
w-as  one  of  the  most  powerful  princes  of  the  time,  and,  besides,  he 
was  himself  of  Danish  origin.  There  was  no  hardship  in  this,  for 
Emma  was  the  most  beautiful  princess  in  Europe. 


7 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Massacre  of  the  Danes  in  England. —  Their  death  avenged  by  Sweyn. — 
Eeign  of  Edmund  Ironside, —  Canute  the  Dane  conquers  England. 

1.  I  CANNOT  give  you  a  better  account  of  the  condition  of  Eng- 
land than  in  the  words  of  a  report  made  to  Sweyn  by  one  of  his 
ofiicers:  "A  country^  naturally  powerful;  a  king  "asleep,  solicitous 
only  about  his  pleasures,  and  trembling  at  the  name  of  war;  hated 
by  his  people,  and  laughed  at  by  strangers.  Generals  envious  of 
each  other ;  and  governors  ready  to  fly  at  the  first  shout  of  battle." 

2.  But  still  the  measures  which  had  been  adopted  might  have 
secured  peace  to  England,  but  for  an  act  of  barbarity,  as  unwise  as 
it  was  wicked.  In  the  year  1002,  the  king  was  persuaded  by  his 
counsellors  to  issue  secret  orders  to  his  officers,  that  on  the  13th 
of  November,  which  is  the  Feast  of  St.  Brice,  all  the  Danes  in 
England  should  be  murdered.  The  order  was  barbarously  exe- 
cuted. Men,  women,  and  children,  fell  indiscriminately  in  the 
general  slaughter. 

3.  Amongst  the  victims  was  the  generous  Gunilda.  The  mon- 
ster, to  whose  custody  she  and  her  family  had  been  committed,  first 
caused  her  husband  and  son,  though  they  were  English,  to  be  mur- 
dered before  her  eyes, 

4.  When  the  assassins  approached  her,  she  calmly  represented  to 
them  the  consequences  of  their  conduct.  She  foretold  the  total  ruin 
of  England,  from  the  vengeance  which  her  brother,  who  was  a  great 
and  powerful  prince,  and  to  whom  she  w\as  very  dear,  would  not 
fail  to  take.  Never  was  prophecy  better  fulfilled.  A  few  young 
Danes  were  fortunate  enough  to  get  on  board  a  vessel,  and,  setting 
sail,  soon  reached  their  native  countrv. 


7.  Who  commanded  the  next  expedition  ?    8.  What  of  Gunilda?    9.  Who  procured  peace? 
Whom  did  Ethelred  marry  ?    What  of  the  Duke  of  Normandy  ? 

XXII.— 1.  What  of  England  in  the  time  of  Ethelred?    2.  What  I.iirbarous  act  did  the 
king  order?    When  was  it  executed?    3,  4.  What  of  Gunilda?    6.  What  did  Sweyn  dof 


46    DRESS   AND   AMUSEMENTS    OF    THE    ANGLO-SAXONS. 10u6. 

5.  Sweyn,  who  had  given  up  all  thoughts  of  making  further  expe- 
ditions, was  roused  to  fury  by  the  news  of  his  sister's  death,  so  faith- 
lessly and  ignominiously  slain.  Collecting  a  large  army,  he  invaded 
England.  After  several  years  he  succeeded  in  getting  entire  pos- 
session of  the  country,  and  was  acknowledged  as  king.  Ethelred, 
with  his  wife  and  two  young  sons,  took  refuge  in  Normandy. 

6.  Sweyn  died  in  1013.  As  soon  as  Ethelred  heard  of  his  death, 
he  went  back  to  England,  and  conducted  himself  with  such  unex- 
pected activity  and  courage,  that  he  compelled  the  Danes,  with 
their  young  king,  Canute,  to  return  home.  If  Ethelred  had  been 
wise  and  prudent,  he  might  now  have  re-established  himself  upon 
the  throne,  but  his  conduct  was  such  as  to  alienate  the  affection  of 
his  adherents. 

7.  Canute  now  returned,  and  after  the  death  of  Ethelred,  in  1016, 
compelled  Edmund,  his  eldest  son  and  successor,  to  divide  the  king- 
dom with  him.  Edmund  survived  this  division  only  one  month, 
when  he  was  murdered  by  one  of  his  own  nobles,  and  Canute  be- 
came sole  king  of  England.  The  great  personal  courage  and  hardi 
hood  of  Edmund  have  obtained  for  him  the  surname  of  Ironside. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

About  the  Dress  and  Amusements  of  the  Anglo-Saxons. —  The  Gleemen. 

1.  I  WILL  now  tell  you  something  about  the  dress  and  amuse- 
ments of  the  Anglo-Saxons.  The  tunic  which  they  wore  very  much 
resembled  in  its  shape  the  frock  worn  by  our  farmers  and  draymen. 
These  tunics  were  bound  in  round  the  waist  with  a  belt,  and  usually 
came  no  lower  than  the  knee;  only  kings  and  nobles  wore  them 
down  to  the  feet. 

2.  People  of  rank  wore,  over  the  other,  a  short  tunic,  or  surcoat, 
made  of  silk,  and  richly  embroidered  and  ornamented ;  a  linen  shirt, 
shaped  much  like  a  modern  shirt,  was  now  an  indispensable  part  of 
the  dress  of  the  rich.  The  poor  wore  no  shirt,  and  had  only  a  tunic 
made  of  coarse  cloth.  The  slaves  wore  an  iron  collar  round  the 
neck,  and  were  clad  in  tunics  open  at  the  sides. 

3.  To  judge  by  the  pictures  we  have  of  the  Anglo-Saxons,  they 
appear  generally  to  have  gone  bareheaded;  though  they  occasion- 
ally wore  fur  caps.  The  hair  was  parted  in  the  middle,  and  hung 
down  on  the  shoulders  in  waving  ringlets.  The  beard  was  shaven 
on  the  upper  lip,  and  top  of  the  chin;  the  rest  grew  long,  was 
kept  very  smooth,  and  was  usually  divided  in  the  middle  and  hung 
down  in  two  points. 

What  became  of  Ethelred?     6.  When  did  Sweyn  die?     What  did  Ethelred  then  do?    7. 
When  did  Ethelred  die?     Who  succeeded  him  ?     What  of  the  kingdom?     How  did  Ed- 
mund die?     What  is  he  surnamed?     Who  was  now  king  of  England? 
.XXIII. —  I,  2.  Doscvilie  the  dress  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  men.    3.  What  of  the  hair  and 


THE   GLEEMEN. — 1006.  47 

4.  The  ladies  wore  a  linen  under-dress,  with  long  tight  sleeves ; 
and  over  that  a  wide  robe  or  gown,  fastened  round  the  waist  by  a 
belt,  and  long  enough  to  conceal  the  feet.  Their  head-dress  was  a 
square  piece  of  linen,  or  silk,  so  put  on  as  to  conceal  the  hair  and 
neck,  and  showing  only  the  face. 

5.  Historians  talk  of  their  curls  and  crisping-pins ;  but  their  pic- 
tures show  us  nothing  but  the  face  peeping  through  the  folds  of 
their  cover- chief ;  and  it  ought  to  be  remembered  to  the  honor  of 
the  Saxon  ladies,  that  while  the  men  were  continually  adopting 
new  fashions  in  dress,  there  ^vas  in  three  hundred  years  little  or  no 
change  in  that  of  the  women. 

6.  Both  sexes  wore  mantles,  more  or  less  splendid,  according  to 
their  rank,  and  a  profusion  of  gold  ornaments,  fringes,  and  bracelets. 
I  had  almost  forgotten  to  mention  the  stockings  of  the  Saxon  beaux. 
They  were  of  gay  colors,  ©ften  red  and  blue ;  at  one  time  they  cross- 
gartered  their  legs,  as  the  Highland ej*s  in  Scotland  still  do. 

7.  The  Anglo-Saxon  nobles  spent  most  of  their  revenues  in 
giving  great  feasts  to  their  friends  and  followers.  These  feasts 
were  more  remarkable  for  their  abundance  than  for  their  elegance. 
The  meat  was  generally  dressed  by  boiling.  It  would  seem  that 
they  had  no  grates  or  fire-places,  but  made  a  fire  on  the  ground, 
and  placed  the  kettle  over  it. 

8.  At  these  feasts  they  sat  on  fcng  benches,  at  large  square 
tables,  and  every  person  took  his  place  according  to  his  rank. 
But  if  any  one  took  a  higher  place  than  he  was  entitled  to,  he 
was  degraded  to  the  bottom  of  the  table,  and  all  the  company  had 
a  right  to  pelt  him  with  bones. 

9.  These  tables  were  set  out  with  great  nicety,  and  were  covered 
with  clean  table-linen,  and  every  person  had  a  separate  drinking- 
horn, — for  there  were  no  such  things  as  glasses, — and  his  own  mess 
of  broth  to  himself.  They  had  knives  and  wooden  spoons,  but  the 
luxury  of  forks  was  unknown. 

10.  We  have  already  told  you  that  the  Anglo-Saxons  Avere  very 
ignorant,  and  could  neither  read  nor  write.  So  yoti  may  suppose  a 
great  deal  of  their  time  hung  heavily  on  their  hands ;  for  of  feasting, 
hunting,  and  fighting,  there  must  be  sometimes  a  cessation.  In  rainy 
weather,  and  winter  evenings,  when  they  had  played  with  their  dogs, 
and  sharpened  their  arrows,  and  brightened  their  spears,  you  may 
suppose  they  often  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  themselves. 

11.  Anybody  who  could  sing  a  song,  or  play  on  the  harp,  or  tell 
an  amusing  story,  was  therefore  mu'ch  courted  and  valued;  and 
this  occasioned  some  persons  to  make  it  their  business  to  learn  all 
these  accomplishments.  These  persons,  whom  they  called  gleemen^ 
but  who  are  now  usually  called  minstrels,  used  to  rove  about  the 
country,  from  hotise  to  house,  and  from  castle  to  castle,  singing 
their  songs,  and  telling  their  stories,  which  were  commonly  in  verse, 
and  everybody  made  them  welcome,  and  was  glad  to  see  them. 

beard?  4,  5.  What  of  tho  ladies' dress?  6.  What  of  mantles?  Stockings?  7.  8,  9.  De- 
acribe  their  feasts,  and  manners  at  table.  10.  Occnpation.  11,12.  Who  were  gleemen? 
What  made  their  company  acceptable?    13.  Whence  the  name  backgammon  ? 


48 


ABOUT   CJANUTE   THE    GREAT. 


12.  Even  in  times  of  war,  when  it  was  dangerous  for  other  people 
to  travel,  they  went  everywhere  without  molestation ;  for  no  one 
would  hurt  a  poor  gleeman,  who  was  always  so  pleasant  and  so  en- 
tertaining a  guest.  It  was  in  the  character  of  a  gleeman  that  AU'rec 
visited  the  Danish  camp. 

13.  Sometimes  the  Saxons  amused  themselves  by  playing  back- 
gammon, which  was  invented  by  the  Welsh,  and  called  by  them 
from  two  words  in  their  language,  bach  cammon,  or  little  battle. 


^ 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


About  Canute  the  Great. — His  Rebuke  of  his  Courtiers, 


CANUTK   EMBRACING   CHRISTIANITY. 


1.  The  English  showed,  at  first,  some  repugnance  to  accept  for 
their  king  a  foreigner  and  an  enemy ;  but  Canute,  who  was  a  wise 
and  powerful  prince,  reconciled  all  their  differences,  and  peaceably 
ascended  the  throne.  The  two  little  sons  of  Edmund  were  sent  into 
Hungary,  where  the  eldest  died ;  but  the  younger,  named  Edward, 
lived  to  grow  up,  and  married  Agatha,  sister  of  the  Queen  of  Hun- 
gary ;  you  will  hear  of  him  again. 

2.  To  show  his  confidence  in  his  new  subjects,  Canute  sent  almost 
all  his  Danish  troops  back  to  Denmark.    He  secured  himself  from 


XXIV,— 1.  What  became  of  the  sons  of  EJiiiund! 


How  did  Canute  show  his  cou- 


ATiOUT   CANUTE   THE   GREAT. 


49 


any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  Duke  of  Normandy  in  favor  of  the 
sons  of  Emma,  by  marrying  that  widowed  queen. 

3.  Canute,  though  brought  up  a  pagan,  embraced  Christianity, 
and  his  conduct  was  so  wise  and  prudent  that  he  hiis  been  called  by 
historians  Canute  the  Great.  He  was  large  in  person,  and  very 
strong ;  he  was  of  fair  complexion,  and  distinguished  for  his  beauty; 
his  hair  was  thick  and  long,  and  his  eyes  were  bright  and  sparkling. 

4.  England,  under  his  government,  enjoyed  many  years  of  tran- 
quillity. During  this  time  Canute  employed  himself  in  making 
nesv  laws,  and  in  promoting  the  prosperity  of  the  country.  Poetry 
was  the  favorite  art  of  the  age,  and  Canute 'did  not  disdain  the 
character  of  a  poet;  the  first  stanza  of  a  jx)em  written  by  him  on 
hearing  the  monks  of  Ely  singing,  as  he  was  passing  by  on  the 
water,  is  still  on  record : 

6.  Cheerful  sang  the  monks  of  Ely, 
As  Canute  the  king  was  passing  by  ; 
Row  to  the  shore,  knights,  said  the  king, 
And  let  us  hear  these  churchmen  sing. 

This  poem  was  afterwards  sung  in  the  churches,  which  gives  us  a 
curious  notion  of  the  sacred  poetry  of  those  times. 


CANUTE  REPROVING  HIS  COURTIERS. 

6.  The  manner  in  which  Canute  rebuked  the  flattery  of  his  cour- 
tiers is  worth  relating.   They  had  been  extolling  him  as  the  greatest 


ridence  in  tie  English?    3.  Wliat  of  Canute?    4.  What  of  England  iiiring  his  reign? 
5 


60  REIGNS  OF  HAROLD  HAREFOOT  AND  OF  HARDICANUTE. 

and  most  powerful  king  in  the  world,  and  adde  i  that  it  was  ini- 
possible  for  anything  to  resist  his  commands.  Canute  ordered  his 
chair  to  be  placed  on  the  sea-shore  while  the  tide  was  rising. 

7.  As  the  waters  approached,  he  c5mmanded  them  t©  retire  and 
to  obey  the  voice  of  him  who  was  lord  of  the  ocean.  He  sat  some 
time,  pretending  to  expect  that  the  waves  would  obey ;  but  they 
continued  to  rise  higher  and  higher,  till  they  touched  the  king's 
feet,  when,  turning  to  his  courtiei'S,  who  stood  by  wondering  what 
it  all  meant,  he  made  them  observe,  and  acknowledge,  that  God 
alone  was  omnipotent. 

8.  Canute  received  many  of  the  English  nobles  into  great  favor. 
The  chief  of  them  was  Earl  Godwin,  a  powerful  and  ambitious  man, 
who  married  his  daughter,  and  whose  son  afterwards  became  king, 
as  you  will  presently  hear.  Canute  died  in  1035,  having  preserved 
England  in  peace  during  the  whole  of  his  reign,  a  term  of  eighteen 
years. 


/ 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
Reigns  of  Harold  Harefoot,  and  of  Hardicannie. 

1.  Canute  left  three  sons;  Sweyn,  Harold,  and  Hardicanute. 
The  succession  to  the  throne  of  England  had  been  settled  on  the 
latter,  who  was  Queen  Emma's  son ;  but  he  being  in  Denmark 
when  his  father  died,  Harold  seized  on  the  crown,  and  took  pos- 
session of  the  late  king's  treasures.  Earl  Godwin,  and  the  greater 
part  of  tlie  English,  declared  for  Hardicanute. 

2.  The  difficulty  was  settled  by  a  division  of  the  kingdom.  It 
was  agreed  that  the  portion  assigned  to  Hardicanute  should  be 
governed  by  Emma,  until  his  return.  Harold  soon  gained  Godwin 
to  his  interests,  by  promising  to  marry  his  daughter,  and  to  declare 
her  children  heirs  to  the  crown. 

3.  Two  sons  of  Ethelred  and  Emma  were  yet  living  in  Normandy, 
under  the  protection  of  their  uncle.  To  get  them  into  his  power, 
Harold  forged  a  letter  in  the  name  of  Emma,  earnestly  inviting 
them  to  come  to  England,  where,  they  were  told,  tliey  would  be 
received  with  joy  by  the  people,  and  one  of  them  acknowledged  as 
king.  Still  further  to  deceive  them,  the  letter  was  filled  with  abuse 
of  Harold  himself. 

4.  The  letter  was  written  so  much  in  the  style  of  their  mother, 
that  the  princes  were  deceived.  Alfred,  tlie  more  active  of  the  two, 
trusting  himself  with  a  few  Normans  on  board  some  ships,  sailed  for 
England.  Soon  after  landing  he  was  met  by  Godwin,  who  professed 
the  greatest  friendship  for  him,  and  loaded  him  with  caresses. 

5.  Repeat  a  verse  written  by  him.     6,  7.  Relate  the  anecdote  of  Canute  rebuking  hif 
courtiers.    8.  Wliat  of  Earl  Godwin?     When  did  Canute  die? 

XXV. — 1.  What  happe'ied  in  England  upon  Canute's  death?  2.  How  were  the  diflB- 
cultles  settled?    3.  What  of  Harold's  stratagem?    4,  5.  Relate  the  particulars  of  tht 


EDWARD   THE    CONFESSOR. 


51 


6.  But«the  treacherous  earl,  taking  advantage  of  his  confidence, 
seized  him  in  the  night-time,  and  sent  him  to  Ely,  where  he  was 
either  actually  murdered,  or  died  in  consequence  of  the  cruel  treat- 
ment he  suffered. 

6.  As  soon  as  Emma  heard  of  his  fate,  she  fled  into  Flanders,  and 
Harold  took  possession  of  the  whole  kingdom.  He  did  not,  how- 
ever, long  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  cruelty  and  ambition,  for  he  died 
in  1039.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  swiftness  in  walking  and  run- 
ning, which  obtained  for  him  the  name  of  Harold  Harefoot 

7.  As  soon  as  Hardicanute,  who  had  joined  his  mother  in  Flan- 
ders, heard  of  the  death  of  Harold,  he  came  to  England,  and  was 
received  with  joy  by  the  people.  But  he  soon  lost  the  affections  of 
his  subjects  by  his  bad  conduct.  His  violent  government,  however, 
did  not  last  long,  for  he  died  in  1041,  having  shortened  his  life  by 
intemperance. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

Edward  the  Confessor. — Harold. — About  the  Conquest. 


QUEEN   EMBIA   PASSING  THE   ORDBAIi. 

1.  The  ill  conduct  of  Harold  and  Hardicanute  had  disgus^-e^  tVnj 
English  with  Danish  sovereigns,  and  they  now  resolved  to  restore 
the  Saxon  line  of  princes.     Edward,  commonly  called  the  Exile, 


death  of  Alfred?    6.  What  did  Harold  then  do?     When  did  he  die?     What  was  he  sur- 
named  ?     7.  Who  succeeded  Harold  ?     When  did  Hardicanute  die  ? 
XXVI. — 1.  What  led  to  the  restoration  of  the  Saxon  race  of  kings?     Who  was  th« 


62  EDWARD   IHE   CONFESSOR. 

that  son  of  Edmund  Ironside  who,  as  we  have  already  related,  was 
taken  care  of  by  the  King  of  Hungary,  was  the  nearest  heir  to  the 
crown. 

2.  But  he  was  so  little  known,  and  at  so  great  a  distance,  that 
he  was  passed  by,  and  Edward,  called  the  Confessor,  which  is  syn- 
onymous with  Saint,  the  son  of  Ethelred  and  Emma,  was  invited 
to  ascend  the  throne.  Edward,  having  a  timid  and  unambitious 
disposition,  did  not  desire  to  be  king,  but  was  prevailed  on  by  Earl 
Godwin,  now  the  most  powerful  person  in  the  kingdom,  to  be 
crowned. 

3.  The  restoration  of  the  Saxon  line  caused  great  joy  throughout 
the  kingdom,  and  was  long  celebrated  by  an  annual  festival,  called 
Hokeday.  Edward  married  Edgitha,  daughter  of  Earl  Godwin.  He 
took  off  a  tax  which  had  been  first  imposed  by  Ethelred  to  raise 
money  to  bribe  the  Danes,  and  hence  called  Danegelt. 

4.  Edward,  having  been  brought  uj?  by  the  Normans,  had  many 
favorites  of  that  nation,  who  came  flocking  over  to  him,  and  were 
loaded  by  him  with  benefits.  He  likewise  introduced  the  Norman 
fashion  of  wearing  loose  trowsers,  and  substituted  the  Norman  title 
Baron,  for  the  old  Anglo-Saxon  word  Thane, 

5.  The  English  nobles,  and  especially  Earl  Godwin,  took  great 
offence  at  the  king's  regard  for  the  Normans.  Their  jealousies  at 
length  became  so  violent,  that  the  king  banished  Godwin,  and  gave 
his  possessions  to  Norman  favorites.  Even  the  queen,  because  she 
was  the  earl's  daughter,  was  very  harshly  treated,  and  it  is  said  that 
to  clear  herself  from  some  charge,  she  was  compelled  to  walk  over 
red-hot  ploughshares,  which  she  did  without  being  injured. 

6.  Godwin  assembled  a  large  force,  and  compelled  the  king  to 
restore  to  him  his  possessions,  and  to  banish  the  Normans,  who  left 
the  country  as  quickly  and  as  secretly  as  possible,  to  avoid  being 
murdered  by  the  populace. 

7.  Godwin  died  soon  after,  as  he  was  sitting  at  table  with  the 
king.  Harold,  his  eldest  son,  was  quite  as  ambitious  as  his  father, 
and  had  set  his  heart  on  succeeding  Edward,  who  had  no  children, 
on  the  throne.  But  the  king,  to  defeat  his  ambitious  designs,  sent 
for  Edward  the  Exile  to  come  to  England. 

8.  The  prince  obeyed  the  summons,  but  died  a  few  months  after 
his  arrival,  leaving  a  little  son,  named  Edgar  Atheling,.  and  two 
daughters,  friendless  orphans  in  a  country  from  which  he  had  him- 
self been  banished  forty  years.  His  death  strengthened  the  hopes 
of  Harold,  and  on  the  death  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  in  1066,  he 
was  crowned  king, 

9.  He  did  not  find  the  throne  a  peaceable  possession ;  for  William 
Duke  of  Normandy  immediately  asserted  his  right  to  it,  under  pre- 
tence that  Edward  had  left  him  the  kingdom  in  his  will.     To  main- 


nearest  heir?  2.  Who  was  called  to  the  throne?  What  of  Edward?  3.  What  of  a  fes- 
tival? Whom  did  Edward  marry  ?  4.  Who  were  the  favorites  of  Edward?  What  changes 
did  he  introduce?  5.  What  was  tlie  consequence?  How  was  Godwin  treated?  IIow 
the  queen?  6.  What' did  Godwin  do?  7.  What  of  Harold,  son  of  Godwin?  Wliom 
did  Edward  wish  to  be  his  heir?  8.  Who  was  Edgar  Atheling?  When  did  Edward 
.he  Confessor  die?     Who  succeeded  Edward?    9.  Who  disputed  Harold's  possession? 


SAXON    KINGS   OF    ENGLAND. 


53 


tain  his  claim,  William  went  with  a  large  army  to  England,  where 
he  landed  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  September,  1066. 

10.  On  the  fourteenth  of  October  was  fought  the  great  battle  of 
Hastings,  a  battle  that  completely  changed  the  fate  of  England, 
Harold  was  killed  by  a  wound  in  the  eye  from  an  arrow,  and  Wil 
Ham  gained  a  complete  victory.     The  result  of  this  conflict  threw 
the  Ensrlish  into  the  utmost  consternation. 


THE  PEOPLiE  OFFEUI>rG  THE  THRONE  TO  WILLIAM. 

11.  Some  of  the  nobles  assembled  at  London  to  deliberate  on 
placing  Edgar  Atheling  on  the  throne ;  but  before  they  had  time  to 
come  to  a  decision,  William  the  Conqueror  was  at  the  gates.  The 
greater  part  of  the  nobles,  with  Edgar  Atheling  at  their  head,  went 
forth  to  meet  him,  and  offered  him  the  vacant  throne,  which  he, 
with  a  little  pretended  hesitation,  accepted.  He  was  crowned  at 
Westminster,  on  Christmas  day,  1066,  and  thus  was  completed  the 
Conquest  of  England,  as  it  is  called. 

TABLE  OF  THE   SAXON   KINGS  OF  ENGLAND. 


Began  to  reign, 
89-7      . 

836     . 
857     . 


866 
901 


Reigned". 

9     . 

21     . 


5 

30 
24 


Egbert. 

Ethelwolf,  son  of  Egbert. 

{sons  of  Ethelwolf,  reigned  jointly  tiU 
the    death  of    Ethelwolf.     Ethelbert 
then  became  sole- king. 
Ethelred,.son  of  Ethelwolf. 
Alfred,  son  of  Ethelwolf. 
Edward  the  Elder,  son  of  Alfred. 


Ethelbald, 
Ethelbert, 


10.  When  was  the  battle  of  Hastings  fought? 
nobles  do?     When  was  William  crowned? 


What  was  the  result?    11.  What  did  thj 


54 


Began  to  reign 

925  . 

941  . 

948  . 

955  . 

959  . 

975  . 

979  . 

loie  . 


IMX 
1035 
1039 


1066 


WILLIAM   THE   CONQUEROR. 


Reigned. 

16  . 

7  . 

7  . 

4  . 

16  . 

4  . 

37  . 

1  . 


Stan,  1 
ind,    \ 


J 


sous  of  Edward. 


27 


Athelstan, 

Edmund,    ^  sons  of  Edward. 

Edred, 

Edwy, 

Edgar, 

Edward  the  Martyr,      )  «  -r,  •, 

-p*u  I     1  *u    TT         *!      r  sous  of  Edsjar. 
Ethelred  the  Unready,  j  ° 

Edmund  Ironside,  son  of  Ethelred. 

/   DANISH  KINGS. 

Canute  the  Great. 

Harold  Harefoot,  ]  r-  n       l 

Hardicanute,  |  '«"'  ^^  ^^°"^^- 

SAXON  LINE  RESTORED. 

Edward  the  Confessor,  son  of  Ethelred. 
Harold,  son  of  Earl   Godwin,  usurped  the  throne, 
though  Edgar  Atheling,  grandson  of  Edmund  Iron- 
side, was  the  natural  heir. 


/ 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

William  L,  surnamed  the  Conqueror. —  The  Saxon  Nobles  degraded. 


CROWNING  OF   WILLIAM   THK  CONQUEROR. 

1.  Y/iLLiAM  the  Conqueror  was  of  middle  height,  and  stoutly 
made,  with  great  strength  of  body.    He  had  a  stern  countenance, 


XX  Vn.— 1,  2.  What  is  said  of  William  the  Conqueror?    S.  What  is  said  of  his  firrt 


THE  SAXON  NOBLES  DEGRADED.  56 

and  ^vas  a  shrewd,  clear-headed  man.  We  can  easily  believe  hia 
to  have  been  of  a  grave  and  thoughtful  temper,  for  we  cannot  find 
that  he  ever  indulged  in  any  gayeties  or  amusements,  except  hunt- 
ing, of  which  he  was  particularly  fond. 

2.  It  is  also  said  that  he  never  admitted  any  one  to  intimacy  or 
familiarity.  He  had  a  few  favorites,  and  those  were  well  chosen, 
which  was  a  strong  j^roof  of  his  wisdom.  He  was  considered  re- 
ligious, being  very  exact  in  the  performance  of  all  religious  observ- 
ances. He  certainly  showed  great  instances  of  generosity,  but 
ambition  was  his  ruling  passion. 

3.  William  began  his  reign  with  so  much  prudence  and  modera- 
tion, that  his  new  subjects  thought  they  had  great  reason  to  be  sat- 
isfied. But  whilst  he  treated  them  with  seeming  confidence  and 
friendship,  he  took  care  to  place  all  real  power  in  the  hands  of  the 
Normans.  He  everywhere  disarmed  the  Saxons.  He  built  fort- 
resses in  all  the  principal  cities,  and  placed  Norman  soldiers  in 
them. 

4.  Still  he  professed  the  greatest  regard  for  the  rights  and  laws 
of  his  English  subjects.  By  this  mixture  of  lenity  and  rigor,  he  so 
subdued  and  quieted  the  minds  of  the  people,  that  he  ventured  to 
visit  his  native  country  within  six  months  after  he  left  it.  The 
chief  of  the  English  nobles  accompanied  him. 

5.  These  made  a  display  of  wealth  and  magnificence  which  quite 
astonished  the  foreigners.  A  Norman  historian,  who  was  present, 
speaks  with  admiration  of  the  beauty  of  their  persons,  the  costly 
workmanship  of  their  silver  plate,  and  the  elegance  of  their  em- 
broideries:  arts  in  which  the  English  then  excelled. 

6.  It  now  became  evident  that  the  English  were  only  kept  in 
subjection  through  fear  of  the  Conqueror.  No  sooner  were  they 
relieved  from  his  presence,  than  they  made  an  effort  to  regain  their 
liberty.  William  hastened  back  to  England,  and,  by  his  vigorous 
measures,  disconcerted  the  plans  of  the  rebels. 

7.  Many  years  were  passed  in  unavailing  struggles  on  the  part  of 
tl^e  English  to  throw  ofi*  the  Norman  yoke.  The  king,  regarding 
them  as  inveterate  enemies,  endeavored  to  reduce  them  to  a  condi- 
tion in  which  they  should  no  longer  be  formidable  to  his  government. 

8.  The  nobles  were  degraded  from  their  rank,  and  stripped  of  the 
greater  part  of  their  possessions.  The  clergy  were  also  deposed,  and 
their  places  supplied  by  foreigners.  Amongst  the  new-comers  was 
one  at  least  worthy  of  being  remembered. 

9.  This  was  Lanfranc,  an-  Italian,  who  was  made  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  who,  by  his  wisdom  and  prudence,  and  influence  over 
the  king,  which  he  employed  in  moderating  the  violence  of  his  tem- 
per, proved  himself  to  be  one  of  the  best  friends  of  the  poor  dejected 
English. 

10.  During  these  troubles,  Edgar  Atheling  had  taken  refuge 
with  Malcolm,  TCing  of  S^ot|j^,pflj  who  married  Margaret,  one  of  his 


measures?  4,5.  What  of  the  English  nobles?  6.  What  did  the  English  do  in  his 
absence?  What  did  William  do?  7.  How  did  William  treat  the  English?  8.  What  of 
the  nobles?     What  of  the  clergy?     9.  What  is  said  of  Lanfranc?    10.  What  bocame 


56  GAME    LAWS    ESTABLISHED. 

sisters,  and  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Anglo-Saxons.  H<= 
marched  into  England  with  an  army,  but  William  soon  obliged 
him  to  retreat. 

11.  In  1071,  Malcolm  being  about  to  make  a  second  attempt  tc 
place  Edgar  on  the  throne  of  England,  WiiKam  marched  against 
him  with  a  large  force.  The  two  armies  met  on  the  borders  of 
Scotland,  and  a  battle  was  about  to  ensue,  when  the  two  king? 
made  peace  with  one  another. 

12.  One  of  the  conditions  was  that  Edgar  should  be  given  up  tc 
William,  who  promised,  if  he  would  renounce  all  claim  to  the 
throne  of  England,  to  give  him  a  mark  a  day— a  little  more  than 
three  dollars — which  was  considered  a  very  handsome  allowance  in 
those  days.  Edgar  assented  to  these  terms,  and  both  he  and  Wil- 
liam remained  true  to  their  agreement. 


CHAPTEE  XXVIII. 

Game  Laivs  established. — Rebellion  of  Robert. — He  is  besieged  by  his 
Father. — Interesting  Incident  duriiig  the  Siege. —  The  Domes-day 
Book. — Death  of  William  I. 


FIGHT   BETWEEN   ROBERT  AND  HIS  FATHER. 

1.  We  have  already  stated  that  William  was  very  fond  of  hunt- 
ing. He  made  many  very  severe  laws  against  those  who  interfered 
with  his  favorite  amusement.     A  person  who  killed  a  deer  or  a  boar 

of  Edgar  Atheliiis?    Whom  did  Slalcolm  marry?     11. 12.  What  was  the  resuJt  of  Mai- 
c-ihn's  second  attempt? 
XXVIIL— 1.  What  laws  did  William  make?     2.  What  of  the  New  Forest?    3.  Whai 


REBELLION    OF    ROBERT.  67 

or  even  a  hare,  was  punished  much  more  severely  than  one  who 
killed  a  man. 

2.  Not  content  with  the  large  forests  which  the  former  kings  had 
possessed,  he  drove  the  inhabitants  of  more  than  thirty  villages 
from  their  homes,  and  reserved  this  large  district  as  a  habitation 
for  wild  beasts,  calling  it  the  New  Forest. 

3.  This  king  enjoyed  but  little  repose.  First  a  conspiracy  among 
his  Norman  nobles  threatened  his  life,  and  afterwards  the  rebellion 
of  his  eldest  son,  Eobert,  kept  his  Norman  dominions  for  many 
years  in  a  state  of  disturbance.  This  prince  had  long  been  jealous 
of  the  king's  affection  for  his  two  younger  brothers,  but  a  trifling 
mcident  caused  him  to  rise  in  open  rebellion. 

4.  The  three  princes,  with  their  father,  who  happened  to  be  in 
Normandy,  were  residing  at  a  certain  castle.  One  day,  as  Robert 
was  passing  through  the  court-yard,  after  having  been  frolicking 
with  his  younger  brothers,  they  sportively  threw  some  water  upon 
him,  from  the  window. 

5.  Robert  would  have  taken  it  as  a  continuance  of  the  fun,  but 
for  the  evil  suggestions  of  one  of  his  attendants,  who  had  personal 
grounds  of  offence  with  the  younger  princes  and  their  father.  He 
persuaded  Robert  that  it  was  intended  as  a  public  insult,  which  he 
ought  to  resent. 

6.  The  passionate  youth,  drawing  his  sword,  rushed  up  stairs, 
determined  to  be  revenged  on  his  brothers.  The  whole  castle  was 
filled  with  tumult,  which  the  king  himself  could  hardly  appease. 
Robert,  having  received,  as  he  thought,  no  atonement  for  the  insult, 
left  the  castle  that  very  night,  and  openly  declared  war  against 
his  father. 

7.  Robert  was  very  popular  among  the  Normans,  and  they  joined 
his  standard  in  great  numbers.  But  after  a  hard  struggle,  he  was 
driven  out  of  Normandy,  and  took  refuge  in  Serberoy,  a  small 
castle  belonging  to  the-  King  of  France,  to  which  William  imme- 
diately laid  siege. 

8.  The  garrison  sallied  out,  headed  by  Prince  Robert,  who 
selected  for  his  antagonist  a  knight  who  appeared  in  front  of  the 
besiegers,  in  complete  armor,  and  having  his  face  covered  with  the 
visor  of  his  helmet.  The  furious  assault  of  the  prince  overthrew 
his  antagonist,  horse  and  man.  His  lance  was  already  at  the 
throat  of  the  fallen  knight  to  take  away  his  life,  when,  by  the 
voice,  he  discovered  that  he  was  about  to  kill  his  own  father. 

9.  His  remorse  and  horror  at  the  thought  that  he  was  near 'being 
guilty  of  so  fearful  an  act,  subdued  in  a  moment  his  rebellious  feel- 
ings. Springing  from  his  horse,  he  threw  himself  upon  his  knees 
in  an  agony  of  grief,  and  begged  forgiveness  for  his  offences,  offer- 
ing to  make  any  atonement. 

10.  William  was  too  angiy  to  forgive  him ;  after  reproaching 
him  bitterly,  he  departed  for  his  own  camp,  on  Robert's  horse, 
which  that  prince  assisted  him  to  mount.    It  was  a  long  time 

eaused  disturbance  to  the  king?    4,  5,  6.  Relate  the  incident  that  was  the  immediate 
'•RUse  of  the  robellior      7.  What  was  the  result  of  the  war?    8,  9, 10.  Relate  the  occur- 


58      STATE   OF   ENGLAND  AFTER   THE   NORMAN   CONQUEST. 

before  he  would  listen  to  Robert's  contrite  entreaties.  At  last, 
Queen  Matilda,  Avho  was  a  very  good  and  pious  woman,  prevailed 
tvith  the  king  to  pardon  his  son. 

11.  William  had  now  a  little  leisure,  of  which  he  took  advantage 
to  have  a  survey  made  of  his  English  kingdom.  The  record  of  the 
survey  was  made  in  a  b  )ok  called  Domes-day  Book,  which  is  yet 
preserved  in  the  Tower;  and  all  possessors  of  estates  who  are 
curious  to  know  to  whom  their  land  belonged  at  the  Conquest, 
whether  it  was  ploughed  land  or  pasture,  what  was  then  its  value, 
and,  in  some  cases,  what  cattle  it  was  stocked  with,  may  there  get 
information  of  all  these  matters. 

12.  One  would  have  thought  that,  after  all  his  turmoils,  William 
would  have  been  glad  to  have  passed  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in 
repose;  but,  on  the  contrary,  upon  some  trifling  quarrel  with 
Philip  I.  of  France,  he  led  an  army  into  that  country,  destroying 
and  laying  waste  everything  that  came  in  his  way ;  every  town  or 
village  through  which  he  passed  was  reduced  to  ashes. 

13.  This  cruelty  brought  on  him  its  own  punishment ;  for,  after 
burning  the  town  of  Mantes,  his  horse,  flinching  from  the  smoking 
ashes,  made  a  violent  plunge,  and  the  king,  being  very  corpulent, 
got  a  bruise  which  caused  his  death  on  the  ninth  of  September,  1087. 
He  was  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age,  and  had  reigned  twenty- 
one  years  in  England.  ^  ^    r 


y^vVv//6^ 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

State  of  England  after  the  Norman  Conquest. —  The  English  Language. 

n  1.  It  may  be  useful  to  pause  and  contemplate  the  state  of  Eng- 
^nd  after  the  Normans  had  established  their  power.  The  highest 
in  rank  after  the  king  were  the  Norman  barons,  who  were  made 
rich  and  powerful  by  the  spoils  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  nobles.  The 
next  class  was  composed  of  Norman  soldiers,  Avho  had  helped  to 
achieve  the  Conquest,  and  who  settled  as  tenants  on  the  lands  that 
had  been  given  to  their  leaders. 

2.  With  this  class  gradually  became  blended  the  old  Anglo- 
Saxon  thanes,  or  nobles,  and  also  the  Anglo-Saxon  eorls,  or 
farmers,  who,  if  they  liad  never  taken  up  arms  against  the  Con- 
queror, were  allowed,  on  putting  themselves  under  the  protection 
of  some  Norman  baron,  to  live  unmolested. 

3.  It  was  not  till  long  after  William  and  his  followers  were  all 
dead  and  gone,  that  the  descendants  of  the  two  nations  could  endure 
each  other;  the  Normans  holding  in  contempt  the  stupid,  ignorant 
Saxons,  and  the  Saxons  detesting  their  tyrannical  oppressors. 

rptice  that  led  to  the  submission  of  Robert.  11.  Wliut  is  the  Domes-day  Book  ?  12. 
What  new  war  did  William  engage  in?  13.  What  caused  his  deatli?  When  did  he  die ? 
What  was  his  age  ?     What  the  length  of  his  reign? 

XXIX.— 1.  How  was  the  land  distributed  after  the  Conquest?  2.  Wliat  was  the  con- 
dition of  the  Saxon  nobles  and  fanners?    3.  What  feelings  existed  between  the  NorBians 


THE    FEUDAL   SYSTEM.  05* 

4.  The  lowest  rank  of  the  people  had  few,  if  any,  rights  of  fcheii 
t»wn.  There  were  some  free  laborers  who  worked  for  hire,  as  men 
do  now ;  but  the  great  proportion  of  the  loAver  class  were  slaves. 
In  towns  there  was  another  class  of  people,  called  Burghers.  These 
were  merchants,  or  tradesmen,  who  joined  together  in  little  socie- 
ties ;  but  in  the  time  of  William  I.  they  were  not  a  numerous,  or  at 
least  not  a  powerful,  body. 

5.  As  a  part  of  his  plan  for  reducing  the  Anglo-Saxons  to  com- 
plete subjection,  William  used  every  means  to  introduce  the  Nor- 
man or  French  language  into  England,  and  to  eradicate  that  of  the 
Anglo-Saxons.  He  altered  many  of  the  old  Saxon  laws,  and  estab- 
lished new  ones  in  their  stead,  which  were  all  written  in  Norman 
French ;  and  he  ordered  that  law  business  should  be  carried  on  in 
that  language. 

6.  He  also  required  that  French  instead  of  Saxon  should  be  taught 
in  the  schools.  But  it  is  easier  to  conquer  a  kingdom  than  to  change 
a  language ;  and  after  an  ineffectual  struggle,  which  lasted  three 
centuries,  the  Saxon  got  the  better  at  last,  and,  with  some  inter- 
mixture of  Norman,  forms  the  basis  of  our  own  language. 

7.  Even  the  Norman  words  we  retain  are  often  so  altered  by  our 
way  of  pronouncing  them  that  a  Frenchman  would  not  recognize 
them.  Thus  many  people  are  sadly  puzzled  to  find  any  meaning  in 
the  words  "  0  yes"  with  which  the  crier  of  our  courts  commences 
his  proclamations ;  for  they  do  not  know  that  the  crier's  0  yes  is  a- 
corruption  of  the  old  Norman  word  "  Oyez"—^^ Hear  ]]e" 


<. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Feudal  System.-^Description  of  a  Norman  Castle. 


1.  The  lands  which  William  took  from  the  Anglo-Saxons,  he 
bestowed  on  his  Norman  barons,  upon  condition  that  they  should 
always  be  ready  to  attend  him  in  battle.  They  were  called  the 
king's  vassals.  The  barons  distributed  their  lands  among  their  own 
followers  on  the  same  condition,  and  thus  these  became  the  vassals 
of  the  barons.  These  again  had  others  under  them,  who  held  them 
on  the  like  terms. 

2.  Thus,  whenever  the  baron  marched  to  war,  his  vassals  marched 
with  him.  This  sort  of  bond  between  the  king  and  his  barons,  and 
the  barons  and  their  retainers,  was  called  the  Feudal  System.  It 
had  its  origin  upon  the  continent,  and  had  been  long  established  in 
France,  before  William  introduced  it  into  Britain. 

3.  The  barons  lived  like  so  many  little  kings,  each  in  his  own 
castle,  with  his  train  of  followers,  who  bore  pompous  titles,  similar 
to  those  of  the  officers  of  the  royal  court.    This  haughty  seclusion 

and  Saxons?-    4.  What  of  the  lowest  class  of  people?    Who  were  the  Burghers ?    5,6. 
What  did  William  do  in  reference  to  the  language?    With  what  ultimate  success? 

XXX.— 1.  How  were  the  lands  of  Britain  distributed?  2.  What  was  the  s.vstr'ni  of 
holding  Knds  called?    3.  How  did  the  barons  live?    4.  What  difference  between  th« 


60 


DESCRIPTION    OF   A    NORMAN    CASTLE. 


gave  great  offence  to  the  Saxon  nobles,  v/ho  were  remarkably  socia' 
aiid  convivial  in  their  habits. 


A  NOKMAN   CASTLP:. 

4.  They  did  not  care  for  the  shabbiness  of  their  own  dwelliiigii, 
which  were  only  built  of  wood,  and  thatched,  if  they  could  but  eat 
and  drink,  and  have  merry-makings;  while  the  Normans,  on  the 
contrary,  were  frugal  in  their  manner  of  living,  but  very  extrava- 
gant in  their  buildings. 

5.  These,  however,  were  comfortless,  gloomy  dwellings.  In  order 
to  convey  an  idea  of  an  ancient  castle  of  this  period,  we  may  de- 
scribe that  of  Rochester  in  England,  which,  though  a  mere  ruin,  is 
one  of  the  most  perfect  now  remaining.  There  is  a  lofty  tower, 
standing  in  a  garden,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  high  walls,  or  at 
least  the  remains  of  high  walls. 

6.  The  tower  was  called  the  heep,  in  wdiich  the  baron  and  his 
family  lived,  and  in  which  all  the  stores  and  arms  and  valuable 
things  were  kept.  Under  the  keep  was  the  dungeon  for  prisoners. 
The  chapel  also  stood  in  this  enclosure,  the  whole  of  which  was 
Ciilled  the  inner  bailey.  In  one  corner  of  the  walls  is  a  little  ruin- 
ous tower,  through  which  there  is  an  entrance. 

7.  Without  this  garden  is  another  enclosure,  taking  a  larger  cir- 
cuit which  may  still  be  traced  by  the  remains  of  thick  solid  w^alls, 
with  towers  at  different  distances.  The  space  between  the  outer 
and  inner  walls  was  called  \hQ  outer'  bailey,  and  here  were  the  lodg- 
ings for  the  soldiers,  the  stables,  and  the  workshops  of  the  black- 
smiths, carpenters,  and  other  artificers. 


Normans  and  Saxons?    5,  6,  7,  8,  9.  Give  an  account  of  a  castle.    What  was  the  keep* 
^r)iat  the  inner  bailoy  ?     What  the  outer  bailey  ?    What  the  postern  ? 


WILLIAM    RUFUS.  61 

8.  There  was  generally  a  small  and  concealed  entrance  to  the 
castle,  by  which  the  lord  might  go  secretly  in  and  out.  This  was 
called  the  post eryi.  Eochester  Castle  is  now  but  the  shell  of  a  biiild- 
ing,  so  that  we  can  only  conjecture  that  the  two  rooms  in  the  cen- 
tre part,  which  have  ornamented  fireplaces,  and  pillars  on  the  walls, 
were  the  state  apartments ;  and  that  the  sleeping-rooms  w^ere  the 
little  dark  recesses,  which  are  to  be  seen  as  you  go  up  the  winding 
stall's  that  lead  to  the  battlements. 

9.  These  rooms  of  state  were  in  the  third  story,  and  have  great 
windows,  which,  however,  were  j^laced  high  in  the  lofty  apartments, 
to  secure  the  occupants  against  weapons  discharged  from  without. 
The  two  lower  stories  had  no  windows,  but  were  lighted  merely  by 
loop-holes.     Such  was  a  Norman  castle  of  the  twelfth  century. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

William  Rufus. — Quarrels  betvjeen  the  Sons  of  William  the 
Conqueror. — Instances  of  their  Generosity. 

1.  William  the  Conqueror  left  three  sons.  To  Robert,  the  eld- 
est, he  devised  Normandy ;  the  crown  of  England  he  gave  to  Wil- 
liam, and  to  the  third,  named  Henry,  he  left  the  fortune  of  his 
mother,  Matilda. 

2.  William  was  twenty-seven  years  old  when  he  became  king. 
He  resembled  his  father  in  the  sternness  of  his  countenance,  as  well 
as  in  his  great  bodily  strength  and  activity.  His  hair  w\is  red,  on 
which  account  he  obtained  the  surname  of  Rufus.  He  stammered 
in  his  speech,  especially  when  he  was  angry,  which,  if  historians 
arc  to  be  believed,  was  very  often. 

3.  He  was  brave  in  war,  but  had  not  any  of  the  great  or  good 
qualities  of  his  father ;  for  he  was  irreligious,  and  a  lover  of  low 
company  and  deep  drinking.  He  was  very  passionate,  and  had  no 
principles,  either  of  honor  or  honesty. 

4.  His  father  was  scarcely  dead,  when  he  set  out  for  England,  to 
secure  the  inheritance  which  was  left  him,  and  to  seize  upon  the 
royal  "reasures.  The  Anglo-Norman  barons  were  very  sorry  to 
have  him  become  king,  and  engaged  in  a  rebellion,  to  place  his 
elder  brother,  Robert,  on  the  throne. 

5.  William  Rufus  now  found  it  convenient  to  make  friends  with 
the  Anglo-Saxons,  and  he  promised  to  restore  many  of  their  rights 
and  privileges.  By  their  help  he  speedily  subdued  the  rebellion  of 
the  barons,  but  he  never  remembered  to  fulfil  his  fair  pledges  to 
those  w^ho  had  aided  him. 

6.  William  and  Robert  never  agreed  but  upon  one  occasion,  and 
then  they  joined  to  oppress  Henry.     His  inheritance  had  been 

XXXI.— 1.  IIow  did  tlie  Conqueror  dispose  of  his  dominions?  2,3.  What  is  said  of 
William?  Wliy  called  Rufus?  4,5.  By  whose  assistance  did  he  put  down  the  rebel- 
lion of  the  barons?     6,  7,  8.    On  what  occasion  did  Robert  and  William  agroer    Rclatt 


62  ABOUT   THE   CRUSADES. 

left  to  him  in  money.  Robert,  who  was  very  extravagant,  had  been 
glad  to  sell  a  part  of  Normandy  to  him,  and  now,  in  concert  with 
William,  sought  to  deprive  him  of  it. 

7.  Henry  would  not  tamely  give  it  up,  and,  with  a  small  number 
of  men,  retired  to  a  strong  castle,  called  St.  Michael's  Mount,  where 
he  was  closely  besieged  by  the  united  forces  of  his  brothers.  He 
was  nearly  reduced  by  the  scarcity  of  water,  when  Robert,  hearing 
of  his  distress,  granted  him  permission  to  supply  himself,  and  also 
sent  him  some  barrels  of  wine  for  his  own  use. 

8.  Being  reproved  by  William  for  this  generosity,  Robert  replied, 
"  What,  shall  I  suffer  my  brother  to  die  of  thirst?  Where  shall  we 
find  another  when  he  is  gone?"  The  king  also  performed  an  act  of 
generosity,  which,  from  his  character,  was  not  to  be  expected  of  him. 

9.  Riding  out  alone  one  day  to  take  a  survey  of  the  fortress,  he 
was  attacked  by  two  soldiers,  and  throw^n  from  his  horse.  One  of 
them  drew  his  sword,  and  was  about  to  kill  him,  when  the  king  ex- 
claimed, "  Hold,  knave !  I  am  the  King  of  England."  The  soldier 
suspended  his  blow,  and  raised  the  king  from  the  ground  with  many 
expressions  of  respect.  For  his  forbearance,  the  man  received  a 
handsome  reward,  and  was  taken  into  the  king's  service. 

10.  Henry  was  soon  after  obliged  to  surrender,  and  having  thus 
lost  everything,  he,  with  a  few  faithful  followers,  who  would  not 
forsake  him  in  his  distress,  wandered  from  place  to  place,  often  in 
want  of  food,  and  always  without  a  home. 


K 


CHAPTER    XXX  [^ 
The  Orusades. 


1.  It  had  long  been  considered  an  act  of  great  piety  to  make  a 
pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem,  to  visit  our  Saviour's  sepulchre.  At  the 
decline  of  the  Roman  power,  Jerusalem  had  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  Saracens,  who  were  not  only  the  bravest,  but  also  the  most 
civilized  people  of  Asia,  at  least  of  those  who  had  intercourse  with 
Europe. 

2.  While  the  Saracens  remained  masters  of  the  Holy  City,  the 
Christian  pilgrims  were  permitted  to  pay  their  devotions  unmolest- 
ed. About  the  year  1065,  the  Turks,  who  were  at  that  time  a  very 
ignorant  and  brutal  people,  became  masters  of  Jerusalem,  and 
treated  the  pilgrims  with  great  cruelty,  and  endeavored  to  prevent 
their  visiting  the  sepulchre. 

3.  One  of  these  pilgrims,  called  Peter  the  Hermit,  though  only 
a  poor  priest,  made  himself  more  famous  than  the  most  powerful 
king  of  his  time.  On  his  return  from  the  Holy  Land,  inflamed  by 
religious  zeal,  and  by  resentment  against  the  Turks,  he  went  about 

tho  instance  of   Robert's   generosity.    9.  What  of   the  king?    10.  What   became  of 
Ileurj'  ? 

XXXII.— 1.  What  is  said  of  pilgrimages?  2,  When  did  the  Turks  take  Jerusalem? 
What  ytm  the  consequence?     3.  What  did  Peter  the  Hermit  do?    4.  Wliat  inducement* 


ABOUT   THE   CRUSADES. 


63 


from  country  to  country,  exhorting  the  princes  and  nobles  to  go 
and  fight  the  pagans,  and  drive  them  from  Jerusalem. 


FIGHT  BETWEEN  THE  CKUSADERS  AND  TURKS. 

4.  The  pope  entered  warmly  into  the  cause.  He  promised  a 
complete  forgiveness  of  their  sins,  however  enormous  they  might 
be,  to  all  such  as  should  go  on  this  holy  expedition.  Various  tem- 
poral advantages  were  offered  as  inducements.  Those  who  had 
borrowed  money  were  to  pay  no  interest  for  it  during  the  time 
they  were  absent,  and  the  poor  debtor  was  discharged  from  all  his 
debts  by  assuming  the  cross,  as  it  was  called. 

5.  Every  person  who  engaged  in  the  enterprise  had  a  piece  of 
red  cloth  in  the  form  of  a  cross  sewed  upon  the  left  shoulder  of  his 
cloak.  Hence  it  was  called  a  crusade,  and  those  who  engaged  in 
it  were  called  crusaders. 

6.  The  French  entered  most  zealously  into  the  cause,  and  we 
must  refer  the  reader  to  the  history  of  that  country  for  a  full  ac- 
count of  the  seveii  great  expeditions  which  left  Europe  to  fight 
against  the  Infidel^,  in  the  whole  of  which  the  French  acted  a  lead- 
ing part.  We  will  not  burden  our  present  history  by  a  repetition 
of  the  whole  details,  but  in  the  following  chapters  shall  speak  of 
tliose  only  in  which  the  English  were  conspicuous. 

7.  It  may  be  necessary  to  remind  the  reader  that  the  Crusadera 
took  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  retained  possession  of  it  for  about 
one  hundred  years,  when  it  was  reconquered  by  Saladin,  a  distin- 
guished king  and  general  of  the  Saracens. 

3.  The  rage  for  crusading  continued  from  the  time  of  Peter  the 
H(;rmit,  in  1096,  till  1291,  a  period  of  nearly  two  hundred  years : 
du  ring  which  Europe  was  drained  of  her  wealth,  and  many  millions 
of  lives  were  sacrificed,  without  accomplishing  the  j^roposed  object. 


wore  held  out  by  the  pope ?    5.  Whence  the  name  crusade,  and  crusaders?    7.  How  long 
did  Jerusalem  remain  in  the  power  of  the  Christians?.  Who  took  it  from  them?    8.  How 


V-i 


64 


AVILLTAM    RUFUS. 


9.  But  still  some  good  iirose  out  of  all  the  evil.  The  Saracens 
were  very  superior  to  the  Europeans  in  their  knowledge  of  the  sci- 
ences, such  as  mathematics,  astronomy,  chemistry,  &c.,  and  also  in 
many  of  the  arts  and  elegancies  of  life.  Much  of  tliis  learning  was 
brought  home  by  the  crusaders.  The  Europeans  have  been  im- 
proving, and  gaining  knowledge  ever  since ;  but  the  Turks,  and  all 
the  people  of  the  East,  have  either  stood  still  or  gone  backward. 

10.  There  are  some  travels  in  the  East  written  about  the  year  1440, 
by  De  Brocquiere,  grand  carver  to  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  and  you 
might  suppose  them  written  only  last  year ;  the  manners  of  the 
people,  as  he  describes  them,  being  in  every  particular  precisely 
the  same  as  they  are  now  said  to  be  by  travellers  of  our  own  time. 


i- 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

William  obtains  large  Territories  by  Mortgage. — His  Death. 


DEATH   OF   WJI.J.1AM   VLFUS. 


1.  As  might  have  been  expected  from  his  character,  Robert  of 
Normandy  engaged  most  zealously  in  the  Holy  War,  To  procure 
money  for  the  expedition,  he  lent  or  mortgaged  his  territories  for 
five  years  to  his  brother  William,  for  a  very  large  sum. 

2.  William  raised  the  money,  though  not  without  some  difficulty, 
and  th<m,  very  much  delighted  with  his  bargain,  took  possession  of 
Normandy.     He  did  not  fmd  it  a  very  quiet  dominion ;  for  it  in- 


long  did  the  rage  for  crusading  last?     9.  What  good  resulted  from  the  crusades?      10. 
What  of  the  manners  of  the  people  of  the  East? 
XXXIIl. — 1.  How  did  Rohert  raise  money  for  the  crusades?     3.  Who  else  m(>rtgagod 


*  DEATH    OF   WILLIAM    RUFUS.  6 ft 

volvecl  him  in  continual  wars  with  the  King  of  France,  in  which 
sometimes  the  French,  and  sometimes  the  Normans,  had  the  ad- 
vantage. 

3.  The  Duke  of  Guienne  also'  proposed  to  mortgage  all  his 
dominions  to  William,  who  accepted  the  oifer.  But  before  he 
could  t[ike  possession,  all  his  plans  of  ambition  were  brought  to  a 
sudden  end.  Whilst  he  was  waiting  for  a  fair  wind  to  sail  for 
France,  he  used  to  amuse  himself  by  hunting  in  the  New  Forest. 

4.  One  day,  as  he  sat  at  dinner,  six  arrows,  very  long  and  sharp, 
were  brought  to  him.  Keeping  four  himself,  he  gave  the  other  two 
to  Sir  Walter  Tyrrel,  a  Norman  knight,  saying,  "  Here,  Tyrrel,  take 
your  two,  for  you  know  well  how  to  use  them." 

5.  After  dinner  they  started  oif  together  for  the  forest.  Anxious 
to  show  his  dexterity,  Tyrrel  let  fly  an  arrow  at  a  stag  which  sud- 
denly started  before  him ;  the  arrow  hit  a  tree,  glanced  and  struck 
the  king  on  the  breast,  and  he  instantly  expired. 

6.  Tyrrel  did  not  stop  to  tell  anybody  of  the  accident,  but  put- 
ting spurs  to  his  horse,  hastened  to  the  sea-coast,  and  embarked  for 
France,  where  he  joined  the  crusaders  in  the  expedition  to  Jeru- 
salem, as  a  penance  for  his  involuntary  crime. 

7.  The  body  of  the  king  was  found  by  some  laborers,  and  car- 
ried in  a  coal-cart  to  Winchester,  where  it  was  buried  the  next  day 
without  pomp.  The  death  of  William  occurred  in  the  year  1100, 
in  the  fortieth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  thirteenth  of  his  reign.  He 
was  never  married. 

8.  There  is  one  memorial  of  William  II.,  which  is  still  an  object 
of  admiration.  This  is  Westminster  Hall,  in  London,  which  he 
built ;  it  is  a  noble  structure,  and  contains  one  of  the  largest  rooms 
in  Europe.  He  also  built  the  Tower  of  London,  or  rather  he  en- 
larged and  strengthened  a  small  fortress,  which  had  been  erected 
by  the  Conqueror,  to  keep  the  citizens  in  good  order. 

9.  The  Tower  has  been  the  scene  of  many  memorable  events.  It 
has  always  been  used  as  a  prison  for  the  confinement  of  persons 
accused  of  offences  against  the  state,  such  as  rebels,  and  others 
who  in  any  way  attempt  to  disturb  or  interrupt  the  government. 
But  it  has  in  modern  times  been  much  more  interesting  to  most 

f)ersons,  as  the  place  in  which  the  king's  menagerie,  or  collection  of 
ions,  tigers,  and  other  wild  animals,  has  been  kept. 

10.  We  ought  to  mention  as  one  of  the  remarkable  occuriences 
of  this  reign,  that  the  Norwegians  made  an  incursion  into  England 
in  1098.  This  was  the  last  attempt  on  that  country  by  any  of  the 
northern  nations.  Those  restless  people  learned  about  this  period 
the  art  of  tillage,  which  provided  them  with  food,  and  gave  them 
occupation  at  home;  this  freed  the  rest  of  Europe  from  their 
piratical  invasions.  ,^. 

their  territories  to  William?  4,  5,  6.  Relate  the  particulars  of  William's  death.  Ij, 
When  did  it  happen ?  How  old  was  he ?  How  long  had  he  reigned?  8.  What  memoriaj 
of"  William  remains  ?  What  of  the  Tower  of  liondon  ?  lo.  What  of  the  incursions  of  the 
Norwegians? 

a* 


^6  HENRY    I.    USURPS    THE    CROWN. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

H^vnji  L,  sumamed  Beaiiclerc,  usurps  the  Crown. — Dispute  between 
the  Pope  and  the  King.  —  Anselm,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury ^ 
preaches  against  certain  Fashions  of  Dress. 

1.  The  news  of  the  king's  death  soon  reached  the  rest  of  the 
royal  hunting  party,  who,  in  the  pursuit  of  game,  had  become 
separated  from  their  master.  Henry,  the  conqueror's  youngest 
son,  was  one  of  these,  and,  instead  of  showing  any  concern  at  his 
brother's  death,  or  even  waiting  to  see  his  body  borne  away  from 
the  spot  where  it  fell,  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  rode  directly 
to  Winchester,  where  he  seized  on  the  royal  treasure. 

2.  He  then  hastened  to  London ;  and,  by  great  gifts,  and  many 
promises,  disposed  the  people  so  much  in  his  favor,  that  within 
three  days  after  his  brother's  death,  he  was  crowned  king,  in  viola- 
tion of  the  right  of  his  brother  Robert,  who  had  not  yet  returned 
from  the  Holy  Land. 

3.  Henry  was  of  middle  height,  and  well  made;  he  had  an  agree- 
able countenance ;  his  hair  was  brown,  and  very  thick  and  bushy. 
He  had  received  what  was  considered  in  those  days  a  learned  educa- 
tion, and,  from  having  performed  the  great  work  of  translating  ^sop's 
Fables,  he  acquired  the  surname  of  Beauclerc,  or  the  Good  Scholar. 

4.  His  character  was  made  up  of  an  extraordinary  mixture  of 
good  and  bad  qualities.  He  was  brave,  eloquent,  and  extremely 
pleasing  in  his  manners ;  he  governed  the  kingdom  with  so  much 
wisdom,  and  caused  justice  to  be  administered  with  so  much  im- 
partiality, that,  in  spite  of  his  ambition,  his  avarice,  and  his  wicked 
conduct  to  his  brother  Robert,  and  that  brother's  son,  William,  the 
English  esteem  him  as  among  the  best  of  their  kings. 

5.  The  Normans  would  naturally  support  the  claim  of  Robert  to 
the  crown  of  England;  as  a  matter  of  policy,  therefore,  Henry 
courted  the  favor  of  his  Anglo-Saxon  subjects.  He  granted  them 
a  charter  of  privileges,  or,  more  propei'ly  speaking,  he  restored 
Edward  the  Confessor's  code  of  laws,  to  which  that  people  were 
much  attached. 

6.  He  tried  to  conciliate  the  church  by  recalling  Anselm,  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  who  had  been  banished  by  William  II.,  for 
refusing  to  admit  the  king's  authority  to  invest  him  with  some  of 
the  rights  of  the  archbishopric,  he  considering  that  authority  to 
belong  exclusively  to  the  pope. 

7.  Before  bishops  took  possession  of  their  dignities,  there  had 
formerly  been  two  ceremonies  performed ;  they  received  from  the 
hands  of  the  sovereign  a  ring  and  a  crosier — which  was  originally 
a  staff,  like  a  shepherd's  crook,  having  the  head  bent — as  symbols 

XXXIV. — 1.  What  did  Henry  do,  when  lie  heard  of  his  brother's  death  ?  2.  What  was 
hia  success  ?  Who  was  the  rightful  heir  to  the  crown  ?  3.  What  is  said  of  Henry  I.  ? 
What  was  he  surnamed  ?  Why?  4.  What  of  his  character?  5.  What  coui'se  did 
Henry  pursue  from  policy?    6.  What  dispute  had  arisen  between  the  kine-  and  the 


ABOUT   THE   CLERGY. 1100.  67 

of  their  office,  or  spiritual  power ;  and  this  was  called  the  investi- 
ture. 

8.  But  as  they  also  held  great  possessions  in  land,  they  made 
those  promises  and  submissions  to  the  king  which  were  required  of 
vassals  by  the  feudal  law,  and  this  was  called  doing  homage.  In 
obedience  to  orders  from  the  pope,  the  priests,  not  only  in  England, 
but  in  all  countries  where  the  Eoman  Catholic  religion  prevailed 
(that  is,  in  nearly  all  Christian  countries),  refused  either  to  receive 
investiture  from  the  sovereign,  or  to  do  homage  to  him. 

9.  The  sovereigns  stoutly  resisted  this  claim ;  but  such  was  the 
influence  of  the  church  over  the  minds  of  the  superstitious  people, 
that  upon  the  continent  of  Europe  the  pope  prevailed  to  the  full 
extent  of  his  claim.  Henry  was  glad  to  make  a  compromise ;- he 
resigned  the  right  of  granting  investiture,  but  was  allowed  to  re- 
tain the  homage. 

10.  We  have  before  told  you  that  the  clergy  were  divided  into 
two  parties ;  the  monks,  or  regular  clergy,  and  the  secular  clergy. 
Though  the  monks  prevailed  and  obtained  all  the  dignities  of  the 
churches,  the  secular  clergy  still  exercised  the  duties  of  the  parish 
priests  in  the  villages. 

11.  It  will  be  recollected  that  the  monks  were  not  allowed  to 
marry.  Having  no  domestic  ties  to  excite  and  keep  alive  their 
kindly  feelings,  many  of  them  became  hard,  unfeeling  bigots. 
Anselm  was  a  monk,  and  seems  to  have  been  wanting  in  common 
humanity ;  for  by  his  influence  a  law  was  made,  obliging  such  of 
the  secular  priests  as  were  married  to  put  away  their  wives,  and 
forbidding  them  ever  to  see  them,  again,  or  to  suffer  them  to  live  on 
any  lands  belonging  to  the  church,  on  pain  of  seeing  them  reduced 
to  slavery,  or  otherwise  severely  punished. 

12.  Anselm  not  only  conducted  arbitrarily  in  the  affairs  of  the 
church,  but  he  troubled  himself  about  the  dress  of  the  laity.  He 
preached  so  fi^riously  and  so  successfully  against  long  hair,  and 
curls,  which  he  disapproved  of,  that  the  ladies  absolutely  cut  off" 
their  locks  in  the  church. 

13.  He  was  not  so  successful  in  the  attacks  he  made  on  the 
fashionable  shoes  of  the  gentlemen ;  for,  notwithstanding  his  threat- 
enings  and  exhortations,  they  continued  to  wear  them  so  enor- 
mously long,  that  they  were  obliged  to  support  them  by  a  chain 
from  the  end  of  the  toe,  fastened  to  the  knee. 

pope?  7.  What  was  i??rc.5<i7M?-e /  8.  What  was  homage,  f  What  did  the  pope  order  iu 
relation  to  these?  9.  IIow  was  the  dispute  settled  in  England?  10.  What  of  the  clergy? 
11.  What  law  did  Anselm  pfocure  to  be  passed  ?  12.  13.  What  fashions  in  dress  did 
Anselm  preach  igainst?     With  what  success? 


68  MOKE   ABOUT   HENRY. — 1106. 

CHAPTEE  XXXV. 

More  about  Henry. — Edgar  Athellng. — Death  of  BuTci  Robert. 

1.  To  endear  himself  yet  more  to  his  Anglo-Saxon  subjects 
Henry  married  Matilda,  daughter  of  Malcolm,  King  of  Scotland, 
and  niece  of  Edgar  Atheling,  and  therefore  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
royal  family. 

2.  In  the  mean  time,  Robert  had  returned  from  the  Holy  Land, 
and  resumed  possession  of  Normandy.  Without  any  delay  he 
commenced  his  preparations  for  invading  England,  and  asserting 
his  right  to  the  crown.  He  landed  with  his  army  at  Portsmouth, 
on  the  19th  of  July,  1101. 

3.  Henry  now  found  the  benefit  of  his  conciliatory  conduct  to- 
wards the  English,  who  remained  true  to  him,  while  the  Normans 
chiefly  took  part  with  Robert,  against  whom  Henry  marched  with 
a  powerful  force.  The  tsvo  armies  remained  wdthin  sight  of  each 
other  for  several  days  without  coming  to  an  engagement. 

4.  This  gave  Anselm  and  some  of  the  barons  w^ho  were  desirous 
of  peace,  an  opportunity  of  concluding  a  treaty  between  the  two 
princes,  in  Avhich  it  was  agreed  that  Robert  should  renounce  his 
pretensions  to  the  crown  of  England,  in  consideration  of  Henry- 
granting  him  a  pension,  and  promising  to  restore  those  Normans 
who  had  joined  him,  to  their  honors  and  estates  in  England. 

5.  No  sooner  had  Robert  returned  to  Normandy,  than  Henry, 
totally  regardless  of  his  promise,  deprived  of  their  offices  and  pos- 
sessions all  those  barons  who  had  taken  his  brother's  part.  When 
Robert  heard  this,  he  returned  to  England  and  remonstrated  with 
Henry  on  this  breach  of  faith ;  but  he  soon  found,  that  instead  of 
benefiting  his  friends,  he  was  endangering  himself  by  staying  in 
England ;  and  he  escaped  in  safety  only  by  giving  up  his  pension. 

6.  In  1106,  Henry  invaded  Normandy,  and  in  a  battle  fought  on 
the  28th  of  September,  he  took  Robert  prisoner,  and  many  of  his 
nobles,  among  whom  was  Edgar  Atheling.  Edgar,  however,  was 
not  considered  a  formidable  enemy,  and  was  soon  set  at  liberty. 
His  Saxon  blood  and  his  mild  disposition  made  him  a  favorite  with 
the  English;  whilst  the  weakness  of  his  character  rendered  him 
too  insignificant  to  be  feared  by  the  Normans. 

7.  From  this  time  till  his  death,  which  was  not  till  he  was  very 
old,  he  lived  quietly  in  England,  and  probably  far  more  happily 
than  any  of  those  who  were  wearing  that  crown  to  which,  by 
birth,  he  had  the  best  right. 

8.  Robert's  fate  was  not  so  happy ;  he  was  brought  a  prisoner  to 
England  ;  and  his  cruel  and  unrelenting  brother  kept  him  in  con- 
finement till  his  death,  twenty-eight  years  afterward.  The  circum- 
stances which  attended  this  event  are  thus  related : 

XXXV.— 1.  Whom  did  Henry  marry?  2.  What  did  Robert  do?  4.  How  were  Henry 
and  Robert  reconciled?  5.  How  did  Henry  keep  Iiis  promises?  6,7.  What  of  Edaai 
Atbfling?    9, 10.  Relate  the  particulars  of  Robert's  death- 


MELANCHOLY   CONDITION    OP    HENRY. 11 1)6.  69 

9.  "  King  Henry,  on  a  festival  day,  putting  on  a  new  scarlet 
cloak,  the  hood,  being  too  small,  was  torn  in  putting  it  over  his 
head.  On  which  the  king  said,  '  My  brother  Robert  has  a  smaller 
head  than  I  have;  let  him  have  this  garment.'  The  cloak  was 
accordingly  sent  to  the  duke. 

10.  "  The  torn  place  not  having  been  sewed  up,  he  discovered  it, 
and  asked,  '  If  any  one  had  worn  it  before  V  And  being  told  the 
circumstance,  he  considered  it  as  a  deep  affront,  and  exclaimed, 
'Now  I  perceive  that  I  have  lived  too  long,  since  my  brotlier 
clothes  me  like  an  almsman  in  his  cast  rent  garments.'  He  then 
**efused  to  take  food,  and  died  in  consequence." 


^ 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


Melancholy  Condition  of  the  King. — Attempts  to  seize  the  person  of  his 
Nephew. — How  the  young  Prince  is  saved. — King  Henry  has  many 
Enemies. 

1.  After  the  capture  of  Duke  Robert,  the  whole  of  Normandy 
submitted  to  Henry.  Hitherto  everything  seemed  to  have  pros- 
pered with  him ;  but  we  should  be  much  mistaken  if  we  supposed 
him  to  be  happy.  From  this  time  he  never  knew  what  happiness 
was.  Remorse  for  his  conduct  towards  his  brother  preyed  unceas- 
ingly on  his  mind. 

2.  He  in  vain  endeavored  to  stifle  it  by  founding  monasteries 
and  building  churches.  Though  groaning  under  the  burden  of  one 
crime,  he  was  yet  meditating  the  commission  of  another,  that  of 
destroying  liis  brother's  son,  William,  a  child  of  ten  years  old; 
whose  rightful  claims  kept  him  in  continual  dread,  and  prevented 
all  enjoyment  of  what  he  had  so  unjustly  acquired. 

3.  He  therefore  sent  one  of  his  servants  into  France  to  seize  on  the 
young  prince ;  but  by  the  vigilance  and  fidelity  of  the  people  who  were 
left  in  charge  of  him,  the  child  was  carried  to  a  place  of  safety.  Henry, 
enraged  at  this  disappointment,  deprived  the  guardian  of  the  prince 
of  all  his  estates,  and  his  pei'sonal  safety  was  secured  only  by  flight.- 

4.  The  faithful  Helie  de  St.  Leon,  for  this  was  his  name,  having 
no  longer  a  home  of  his  own,  wandered  about  from  court  to  court, 
claiming  protection  for  his  royal  charge,  who  was  everywhere 
pitied  for  his  misfortunes,  and  admired  for  his  many  virtues,  as 
well  as  for  the  beauty  of  his  person. 

5.  The  Earl  of  Anglers  engaged  to  assist  him,  and  promised  him 
his  daughter  Sibylla  in  marriage;  but  Henry  no  sooner  heard  that 
Lis  nephew  had  gained  so  powerful  a  friend,  than  he  resolved  to 
prevent  the  intended  match,  and  off'ered  his  own  son  William  in 
marriage  to  Matilda,  another  daughter  of  the  earl. 

XXXYI.— 1.  What  were  the  feelings  of  Henry?  2.  What  new  crime  did  he  meditate? 
8.  Did  he  effect  his  intention?  4.  Who  was  the  guardian  of  Robert's  son?  What  is  said 
of  the  son  of  Robert?     5.  How  did  Henry  prevent  his  marriage?     6.  Whither  did  th** 


70  BATTLE   OF    BRENNEVILLE. 1118-1120. 

6.  The  earl  found  the  temptation  so  strong  that  he  broke  off  the 
contract  with  William,  the  son  of  Robert,  and  concluded  one  with 
William,  the  son  of  Henry.  The  unfortunate  prince,  still  attended 
by  Helie,  then  retired  to  the  court  of  Flanders,  where  the  earl  re- 
ceived them  with  great  kindness. 

7.  Henry  probably  showed  some  disinclination  to  fulfil  his  agree- 
ment for  the  marriage  of  his  son ;  for  in  1118  we  find  the  Duke  of 
Anjou  united  with  Louis,  King  of  France,  and  the  Earl  of  Flan- 
ders, §gainst  him.     They  were  joined  by  many  Norman  barons.   - 

8.  Henry,  surrounded  by  enemies,  both  secret  and  declared,  knew 
not  whom  to  trust,  nor  whom  to  fear.  He  slept  in  armor,  and  with 
a  guard  watching  in  his  apartment.  Nevertheless,  his  prudence 
and  vigilance  did  not  forsake  him.  He  contrived  to  regain  the 
favor  of  the  Norman  barons,  and  detached  the  Duke  of  Anjou  from 
the  alliance  by  solemni%;ing  the  proposed  marriage. 


X 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Battle  of  Brenneville. — Ancient  Armor. 


1.  The  King  of  France,  and  those  associated  with  him,  met  the 
army  of  Henry  in  the  plains  of  Brenneville,  not  far  from  Rouen. 
A  fierce  battle  ensued,  in  AAdiich  the  English  were  victorious.  It  is 
remarkable  for  having  cost  the  lives  of  only  three  knights,  although 
an  unusually  large  number  were  engaged  in  it.  This  was  owing  to 
their  being  clad  in  complete  armor,  and  to  the  desire  which  each 
party  felt  to  take  prisoners,  rather  than  to  take  life. 

2.  The  ransom,  that  is,  the  sum  of  money  received  from  prisoners 
for  their  restoration  to  liberty,  formed  an  important  part  of  the  reve- 
nues of  the  fighting  men  at  this  period.  ^ 

3.  The  use  of  armor  by  the  English  was  comparatively  a  new 
thing.  The  Saxons  and  Danes  haa  no  other  defence  than  a  shield 
and  a  helmet,  till  a  little  before  the  time  of  the  Conquest,  when  the 
nobles  adopted  armor,  something  like  that  of  the  Normans. 

4.  This  consisted  of  a  whole  dress  of  little  rings  of  iron,  linked 
together  so  ingeniously,  like  net-work,  that  it  fitted  close  to  the 
limbs  and  body,  and  was,  at  the  same  time,  as  flexible  as  a  stock- 
ing. Under  this  they  wore  a  dress  called  a  gambeson,  which  we 
suppose  to  have  been  like  a  shirt  without  sleeves  or  collar,  and 
quilted  or  stuffed  with  wool. 

5.  Sometimes  the  gambeson  was  worn  over  the  hauberk,  or  coat  of 
mail,  as  the  chain  armor  was  called.  But  it  seems  that  this  kind  of 
armor  was  not  found  to  be  sufficient  defence  against  the  point  of  a 

prince  go  from   Anjou?    7.  What  league   was   formed  against  Henry?    8.  What  did 
Henry  do? 

XXXVII. — 1.  Where  did  the  hostile  armies  meet?  What  was  the  result  of  tlie  battle? 
Why  were  so  few  lives  lost?  3.  What  is  said  of  the  use  of  armor  by  the  English?  4,  5. 
What  WM  the  hauberk?    What  the  gambeson?    What  new  kind  of  armor  was  intro- 


ANCli:NT   ARMOR. — 1120. 


#   '■ 


spear  or  arrow  ;  for  in  the  fourteenth  century,  plate  armor  was  in- 
troduced, so  called  from  being  made  of  plates  of  iron. 

6.  These  were  often  so  heavy,  that  Avhen  a  knight  in  his  armor 
was  overthrown,  he  lay  on  the  ground  immovable  till  he  was  helped 
up ;  and  there  were  many  instances,  in  hot  weatheij,  and  in  the 
press  of  battle,  of  persons  being  suffocated  with  the  heat  and  weight 
of  their  armor. 

7.  In  an  engagement  between  the  French  and  Italians,  in  1405, 
some  Italian  knights,  who  were  overthrown,  lay  like  huge  lobsters, 
and  could  not  be  killed  till  their  armor  was  broken  by  the  French 
soldiers  with  wood-cutters'  axes.  There  was  also  an  intermediate 
kind  of  armor,  called  scale  armor,  formed  of  little  pieces  of  iron 
laid  one  over  another,  like  the  scales  of  a  fish ;  but  this  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  long  in  use. 

8.  At  first  the  hauberk,  though  it  covered  the  head  like  a  hood, 
left  the  face  quite  exposed,  except  that  it  was  sometimes  guarded 
by  a  nasal,  a  part  of  the  cap  which  projected  over  the  nose.  But 
by  degrees  they  covered  the  face  more  and  more,  till  at  length  close 
vviors  were  adopted.  This  armor  was  a  pretty  sure  defence  against 
the  weapons  then  in  use,  for  gunpowder  was  not  invented  till  long 
after  the  time  of  Henry  I. 

9.  The  knights  fought  with  lances,  spears,  and  swords ;  and  the 
common  soldiers  with  slings  and  bows,  in  the  use  of  which  the  Eng- 
lish excelled  all  other  nations.  The  French  were  more  active,  but 
the  English  had  more  bodily  strength.  Besides  these  arms,  various 
kinds  of  machines  Vvcre  used  for  throwing  darts  and  stones  to  a 
great  distance. 


y- 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


Melancholy  Death  of  Prince  William,  arid  a  large  number  of  the 
young  Nobles. 

1.  Henry  had  adopted  every  means  which  his  prudence  and 
wisdom  could  suggest  to  secure  to  his  son  the  succession  to  the 
crown.  He  required  all  his  earls  and  barons  to  swear  fealty  to 
him,  that  is,  to  acknowledge  him  as  their  lord,  and  to  maintain  his 
right  to  the  throne  with  fidelity.  He  also  spent  much  time  in  Nor* 
mandy,  seeking  to  gain  the  good  will  of  the  nobles. 

2.  But  how  useless  was  all  this  anxiety !  This  beloved  son,  for 
whose  aggrandizement  he  had  done  and  sacrificed  so  much,  was  sud- 
denly snatched  from  him.  When  the  king  arrived  at  Harfleur,  on 
his  way  back  to  England  from  a  visit  to  Normandy,  in  1120,  he 
was  accosted  by  a  man,  who  claimed  the  right  of  carrying  the 

duced  in  the  fourteenth  century  ?     6,  7.  What  is  said  of  the  plate  armor  ?     What  of  scale 
armor?    8.  How  was  the  face  protected?    9.  What  were  the  offensive  weapons  at  this 
period  ? 
XXXVIII. — ^1.  For  what  was  Henry  very  anxious?    How  did  he  try  to  sffcure  his  oh- 


T2         MELANCHOLY    DEATH    OF    PRINCE    WILLIAM. — 1120. 

kings  of  England  across  the  seas,  by  virtue  of  a  promise  of  Williaik 
the  Conqueror  to  his  father. 


PRINCE  WILLIAM  AND  HIS  SISTER. 

3  This  promise  had  been  made  as  a  reward  for  the  father's  ser^" 
vices  in  carrying  William  over  to  England  when  he  went  to  the 
Conquest.  Henry  was  in  haste  to  reach  England,  and  could  not 
alter  the  arrangements  already  made.  Not  to  disappoint  the  man 
who  had  caused  a  vessel  to  be  gallantly  equipped  in  a  style  worthy 
of  the  occasion,  he  told  him  that  his  son  should  embark  in  it. 

4.  Accordingly  the  young  prince,  with  a  large  number  of  the  young 
nobles,  and  many  ladies  of  rank,  went  on  board  the  white  ship.  The 
prince  had  ordered  some  wine  to  be  given  to  the  crew,  of  which  they 
drank  so  freely  that  many  were  intoxicated.  The  rest  of  the  fleet  had 
sailed  before  them,  and  the  captain  crowding  all  sail,  iand  plying  all 
his  oars  to  overtake  them,  the  vessel  suddenly  struck  upon  a  rock. 

5.  A  boat  was  immediately  let  down,  into  which  the  young  prince 
and  some  of  his  attendants  were  hurried ;  and  they  might  have 
reached  the  shore  in  safety,  had  not  the  prince  insisted  on  going 
back  to  rescue  his  sister.  On  board  the  vessel  all  was  terror  and 
confusion ;  as  soon  as  the  boat  approached,  so  many  persons  jumped 
into  it,  that  it  instantly  sank,  and  every  creature  in  it  perished. 

6.  Of  three  himdred  persons  on  board  the  vessel,  only  one  escaped. 


Meet?     2.  Wliat  led  to  Prince  William's  embarking  in  tho  white  ship?    4,  5.  Relate  th« 


DEATH    OF    WILLIAM   OF    NORMANDY. 1126.  78 

This  was  a  butcher  of  Eouen,  who,  by  clinging  to  a  mast,  cojitrived 
to  keep  his  head  above  water  till  the  next  morning,  when  he  was 
picked  up  by  some  fishermen.  The  captain  had  also  clung  to  the 
same  mast,  but  when  the  butcher  told  him  that  the  prince  had  per- 
ished, he  let  go  his  hold  and  was  drowned. 

7.  The  news  of  this  misfortune  reached  England  the  next  day ; 
but  it  was  three  days  before  any  one  had  courage  to  tell  the  king 
of  it.  At  last  a  boy  was  instructed  to  fall  at  his  feet,  and  tell 
him  that  the  white  ship  was  lost,  with  all  on  board.  Henry  imme- 
diately fainted  away.  It  was  a  long  time  before  the  violence  of 
his  grief  abated,  and  he  never  was  seen  to  smile  again. 

8.  England  would  probably  have  found  a  tyrant  in  Prince  William, 
had  he  lived  to  come  to  the  throne ;  for  he  hated  the  English,  and 
had  been  heard  to  threaten  that,  when  he  should  be  king,  he  would 
make  them  draw  the  plough,  and  turn  them  into  beasts  of  burden. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

Matilda,  daughter  of  Henry,  marries  Geoffrey  Plantagenet. — Death  of 
Henry  I. — Stephen  usurps  the  Crown. 

1.  Henry  had  now  only  one  child  left,  and  that  one  a  daughter, 
Matilda,  who  was  married  to  Henry  V.,  Emperor  of  Germany,  and 
she  had  no  children.  This  state  of  things  encouraged  the  friends 
of  William  of  Normandy  to  make  fresh  attempts  in  his  favor ;  but 
they  were  not  attended  with  any  success. 

2.  William,  having  married  a  sister  of  the  Queen  of  France,  re- 
ceived a  small  territory  as  her  dowry,  and  thus  at  last  became  pos- 
sessed of  a  spot  of  ground  that  he  miffht  call  his  own.  A  few  years 
afterwards  the  King  of  France  put  him  in  possession  of  a  part  of 
Flanders,  to  which  he  had  a  claim  in  right  of  his  grandmother 
Matilda,  wife  of  the  Conqueror. 

3.  But  no  sooner  did  fortune  seem  to  smile  on  this  young  prince, 
than  he  died  of  wounds  received  in  battle.  Before  his  death  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  Henry,  entreating  his  favor  for  his  faithful  friend 
Helie,  and  the  other  barons  who  had  followed  his  fortunes.  It  is 
pleasing  to  be  able  to  say  that  this  last  request  of  the  gallant  and 
ill-fated  son  of  Robert  was  generously  complied  with. 

4.  In  the  year  1126,  Matilda  became  a  widow\  She  then  re- 
t\irned  to  live  with  her  father,  who  made  all  the  nobles  swear  fealty 
to  her,  as  they  had  formerly  done  to  her  brother.  The  following 
year  he  married  her  to  Geoffrey,  eldest  son  of  the  Earl  of  Anjou,  who 
was  sumamed  Plantagenet.  This  name  is  derived  from  the  Latin 
words  planta,  plant,  and  genista,  broom. 

particulars  of  his  death.    6.  How  many  were  saved?    7.  How  was  the  king  affected  by 
the  news?    8.  What  is  said  of  Prince  William? 

XXXIX.— I.  How  many  children  had  Henry?  2,  3.  What  is  said  of  William,  son  of 
Ro?>ert?    4.  What  did  Henry  do  to  secure  the  crown  to  his  daughter?     Who  was  her 


74  ABOUT   STEPHEN. — 1135-1140. 

5.  Why  it  was  given  to  the  house  of  Anjou,  antiquaries  are  not 
agreed.  One  old  chronicle  tells  us,  that  a  prince  of  that  family,  hav- 
ing killed  his  brother,  to  obtain  his  possessions,  made  a  pilgrimage 
to  the  Holy  Land  to  expiate  his  crime ;  and  as  a  further  penance, 
flogged  liimself  every  night  with  a  rod  of  the  plant  called  broom ; 
whence  he  became  nicknamed  planta-genista,  ov  planta- genet. 

6.  The  great  love  which  Henry  had  for  his  own  children,  bore  a 
striking  contrast  to  his  want  of  affection  for  his  brother  and  his 
nephew  William.  That  he  might  be  near  his  daughter,  he  spent 
the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Noniiandy.  After  living  to  see  her  tlip 
mo':her  of  three  sons,  he  died  on  the  1st  of  December,  1135,  in  the 
bixty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  the  thirty-sixth  of  his  reign. 

7.  All  the  precautions  which  Henry  had  taken  to  secure  the 
crown  to  his  daughter  proved  vain.  He  had  a  nephew  named 
Stephen,  son  of  his  sister  Adela  and  the  Count  of  Blois.  This 
young  man  had  always  been  a  great  favorite  with  his  uncle,  who 
had  loaded  him  with  riches  and  honors. 

8.  He  had  been  loud  in  his  professions  of  gratitude,  and  of  his  zeal, 
and  fidelity  to  his  uncle's  family ;  and  had  been  amongst  the  first  to 
swear  to  maintain  the  rights  of  Matilda  to  be  the  successor.  But  no 
sooner  did  he  hear  of  the  king's  death,  than  he  hastened  over  to  Eng- 
land, where  he  soon  procured  himself  to  be  crowned  at  Westminster. 


CHAPTER    XL. 


> 


Proceedings  of  Stephen. — Miserable  State  of  the  Kingdom. — A  Civil 

1.  We  are  told  that  Stephen  had  a  very  graceful  person ;  he  was 
strong  and  active,  and  was  very  courageous.  He  was  also  pleasant 
in  his  manners,  and  in  his  conversation.  He  had  always  been  a 
great  favorite  with  the  people,  and  to  this  he  owed  the  success  of 
his  attempt  on  the  crown.  He  was  kind  and  indulgent  to  his  own 
family,  and  profuse  in  his  kindness  to  his  friends  and  favorites. 

2.  His  usurpation  of  the  throne  had  been  so  totally  unexpected, 
that  no  preparations  had  been  made  against  it ;  and  he  had  time  to 
strengthen  himself,  before  the  adherents  of  Matilda  had  recovered 
from  their  surprise.  Malcolm,  King  of  Scotland,  was  the  first  to 
take  up  arms  in  favor  of  his  niece.  He  advanced  into  England 
mth  an  army,  but  Stephen  contrived  to  win  him  over  by  giving  up 
to  him  a  large  territory  in  the  north  of  England. 

3.  Eobert,  Earl  of  Gloucester,  was  the  most  poAverful  baron  in 
England  at  this  time,  and  he  was  warmly  attached  to  the  cause  of 


3econd  husband?     5.  What  was  the  surname  of  her  husband?     6.  When  did  Henry  die? 
What  was  his  age?    7.  Who  was  Stephen  de  Blois?     8.  Wliat  did  he  do  after  his  uncle't 
Jeath  ? 
XL.— 1.  What  is  said  of  Stephen?     2.  Wliat  of  the  friends  of  IMatilda?     \  4.  Whal 


A   CIVIL   WAR. — 1140.  ^  75 

Matilda;  but  as  the  other  nobles  acknowledged  Stephen,  he  was 
obliged  to  yield.  But  he  bound  himself  to  submit  to  him  as  king 
no  longer  than  Stephen  kept  the  promises  he  had  made  in  favor  of 
all  orderss  of  men. 

4.  The  clergy  and  barons  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  with  the 
same  condition,  and  the  latter  required  for  themselves  the  right  of 
fortifying  their  castles.  In  consequence,  England  was  soon  covered 
with  fortresses.  In  these  the  barons  lived  like  robbers  in  their  dens, 
and  sallied  out  only  to  plunder  and  fight. 

5.  Private  wars  arose  among  the  barons,  and  were  carried  on 
with  great  fury  in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom;  the  less  powerful 
found  themselves  obliged  to  purchase,  at  any  rate,  the  protection 
of  some  neighboring  chieftain;  the  country  was  laid  waste,  and  the 
most  shocking  cruelties  were  practised  upon  those  taken  captive,  in 
order  to  make  them  reveal  their  treasures. 

6.  Stephen  was  at  length  compelled  to  adopt  some  measures  to 
check  the  wickedness  of  the  barons.  This  occasioned  great  discon- 
tent, which  gave  courage  to  Robert  of  Gloucester,  who  had  now 
openly  espoused  the  cause  of  Matilda,  to  raise  the  standard  of 
rebellion. 

7.  Matilda  herself  soon  came  over  to  England,  and  was  kindly 
entertained  by  Adelais,  the  widow  of  Henry,  at  her  castle  of  Arun- 
del. Stephen  at  once  laid  siege  to  this  castle,  and  would  soon  have 
taken  it,  had  it  not  been  represented  to  him,  that  thus  to  take  a 
castle  belonging  to  Adelais,  the  queen-dowager,  as  the  widow  of  a 
king  is  called,  would  show  a  great  want  of  respect  for  her. 

8.  Stephen,  who  possessed  a  great  deal  of  that  generous  and 
romantic  spirit  which  led  to  the  institution  of  chivalry,  would  do 
nothing  which  should  injure  his  reputation  as  a  good  knight.  He 
permitted  Matilda  to  come  out,  and  to  proceed  in  safety  to  Bristol, 
another  castle  equally  strong  with  the  one  which  she  had  left. 

9.  Matilda  made  use  of  the  freedom  which  she  owed  entirely  to 
the  generosity  of  the  king  to  raise  an  army  against  him.  England 
was  now  for  several  years  desolated  by  one  of  the  most  calamitous 
wars  ever  known.  War  and  tumult  were  spread  in  every  quarter. 
Instead  of  an  open  contest,  it  was  a  miserable  kind  of  hostility,  and 
displayed  all  the  worst  evils  of  the  feudal  system. 

10.  Each  baron,  shut  up  in  his  own  castle  with  his  own  retain- 
ers, kept  up  a  petty  war  with  his  nearest  neighbor  of  the  opposite 
party.  The  land  was  left  untilled,  and  a  grievous  famine  was  the 
consequence.  At  length,  on  the  2d  of  February,  1141,  the  king  and 
the  Earl  of  Gloucester  met  in  battle,  in  which  the  latter  was  vic- 
torious, and  Stephen  was  taken  prisoner. 

did  the  nobles  require  ?  5.  What  is  said  of  the  state  of  the  country  ?  6.  What  did  Ste- 
phen do?  What  WIS  tlie  consequence?  7.  What  did  Matilda  do?  8.  What  instance  of 
the  generosity  of  St  ^phen  ?  9.  What  is  said  of  the  war  that  followed  ?  10.  What  was  the 
result  ? 


r 


76 


MATILDA   ACKNOWLEDGED   AS   QUEEN. — 1141. 


^*^  CHAPTEK  XLI. 

Matilda  acknowledged  as  Queen. — Her  Escape  from  Stephm. — Peaa 

restored. — Death  of  Stephen. 


THE  QUEEN  OF  STEPHEN   PRAYING   J'OR  HIS  I^IBEKTY. 

1.  After  this  great  victory,  Matilda,  or  Maude,  as  she  was 
called  by  the  Normans,  was  acknowledged  as  queen.  Instead  of 
acting  with  prudence,  or  even  with  gratitude,  she  became  puffed  up 
with  her  success,  treated  her  friends  very  rudely,  and  her  opponents 
very  insolently.  She  conducted  towards  Stephen  while  in  prison 
with  great  inhumanity,  and  when  his  queen  begged  her  to  release 
him,  she  replied  only  by  insult. 

2.  She  so  disgusted  all  orders  of  people  by  her  behavior,  that 
even  while  she  was  making  preparations  for  her  coronation,  she  was 
obliged  to  fly  from  London,  and  seek  refuge  in  Winchester.  Here 
she  was  soon  besieged  by  Stephen's  brother,  Henry,  Bishop  of 
Winchester. 

3.  The  castle  being  in  danger  of  being  taken,  she  mounted  a  swift 
horse,  and  with  difficulty  escaped.  Robert,  Earl  of  Gloucester,  in 
attempting  to  follow  her,  was  made  prisoner.  He  was,  however, 
soon  after  exchanged  for  Stephen,  and  thus,  by  both  being  taken 
prisoners,  both  regained  their  liberty. 

4.  Matilda  soon  after  had  another  narrow  escape ;  for  being  pur- 
sued by  Stephen,  ^le  saved  herself  by  being  borne  in  a  litter,  like  a 
dead  body,  to  Oxford.  Stephen  continued  before  Oxford  three  months, 
having  sworn  not  to  raise  the  siege  till  he  had  taken  Matilda  prisoner. 


XLl. — 1.  What  was  the  consequence  of  the  capture  of  Stephen  ?     How  did  Matilda  be- 
have?   2.  What  was  the  consequence  of  her  behavior?    3.  W)«at  procured  the  release 


DEATH   OF   STEPHEN. li54.  77 

At  last  the  garrison  was  reduced  to  extremity  by  famine.     Still  the 
queen's  spirit  was  too  proud  to  allow  her  to  surrender. 

5.  It  being  now  the  middle  of  winter,  the  ground  was  covered 
with  snow.  Matilda  and  three  of  her  trusty  knights,  attiring  them- 
selves wholly  in  white,  passed  out  of  the  castle  by  a  postern  gate. 
After  crossing  the  frozen  river,  and  walking  six  miles,  they  reached 
Abingdon  in  safety,  where  they  procured  horses  to  carry  them  to 
Wallingford. 

6.  At  this  place  she  was  met  by  Earl  Robert,  on  his  return  from 
Normandy,  with  her  son.  Prince  Henry,  a  fine,  promising  boy  of 
eleven  years  of  age ;  and  she  soon  forgot  all  her  fatigues  and  alarms 
in  the  joy  of  that  happy  meeting. 

7.  The  fatal  and  ruinous  warfare  continued  for  some  years  longer. 
Indeedy.it  seemed  as  if  the  people  were  become  so  much  accustomed 
to  fighting,  that  they  did  not  know  how  to  leave  ofi^".  In  1147, 
Robert,  Earl  of  Gloucester,  died ;  on  which,  Matilda,  wearied  out 
with  the  struggle,  resigning  her  claims  to  her  son  Henry,  retired  to 
Normandy,  and  passed  the  remainder  of  her  life  in  quiet,  seldom 
interfering  in  public  affairs. 

8.  Matilda  left  one  memorial  of  herself  in  England,  which  is 
worth  mentioning.  Stow,  an  old  chronicler,  gives  this  account  of 
it:  "This  Matilda,  when  she  saw  the  forde  to  be  dangerous  for 
them  that  travelled  by  the  Old  Forde  over  the  river  Sea  (for  she 
had  herself  been  well  washed  in  the  water),  caused  two  stone 
bridges  to  be  builded,  of  which  the  one  was  over  the  Sea,  at  the 
town  of  Stratford,  now  called  Bow,  because  the  bridge  was  arched 
like  a  bow." 

9.  This,  he  tells  us,  was  "  a  rare  piece  of  worke ;  for  before  that 
time  the  like  had  never  been  seen  in  England."  All  former  bridges 
had  been  made  of  wood.  In  1153,  Prince  Henry  arrived  from 
Normandy  with  an  army.  Stephen,  with  his  forces,  met  him  at 
Wallingford. 

10.  The  two  armies  remained  near  one  another  for  several  days 
without  engaging  in  battle.  Some  of  the  barons,  who  deplored  the 
miseries  of  the  country,  had  thus  an  opportunity  of  proposing  an 
accommodation,  to  which  Stephen  the  more  willingly  assented, 
having  a  short  time  before  lost  his  eldest  son,  Eustace. 

11.  It  was  agreed  that  Stephen  should  remain  king  during  his 
life,  and  that  Henry  should  be  his  successor.  The  news  of  the 
treaty  was  received  with  the  greatest  joy.  Stephen  did  not  long 
survive.  He  died  on  the  25th  of  October,  1154,  upon  which  Henry 
II.  peaceably  took  possession  of  the  throne. 

of  Stephen?  5.  How  did  Matilda  escape  from  Oxford?  6.  Who  met  her  at  Walling- 
ford? 7.  When  did  Robert,  Earl  of  Gloucester,  die?  What  did  Matilda  do  soon  after? 
8,9.  What  memorial  remains  of  her  ?  When  did  Henry  return  to  England?  11.  How 
wore  the  difficulties  settled?    When  did  Stephen  die?     Who  succeeded  him? 

7* 


78  LADIES    IN   THE   TIME    OF   HENRY   II. — 1150-1200. 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

How  the  Ladies  employed  themselves  in  the  time  of  Hemnj  II. 

1.  Our  readers  may  be  curious  to  know  how  the  ladies  werr>  oc- 
2upied  during  the  stormy  times  we  have  been  describing.  The 
daughters  of  noblemen  were  generally  educated  in  nutineries  till 
they  were  married.  These  w^ere  societies  of  women,  who  had  taken 
upon  themselves  vows  similar  to  those  of  the  monks. 

2.  These  religious  houses  were  respected  by  both  parties,  and  the 
young  ladies,  besides  being  instructed  in  the  branches  then  con- 
sidered essential  to  female  education,  such  as  surgery,  needlework, 
and  cookery,  were  also  saved  from  the  dangers  to  which  the  violence 
of  the  times  would  have  exposed  them. 

3.  After  they  were  married,  they  lived  in  their  husbands'  castles, 
and  were  often  besieged,  and  taken  prisoners.  In  times  of  battle 
they  employed  themselves  in  making  salves,  and  attending  upon 
the  wounded. 

4.  If  there  were  none  of  these  requiring  their  care,  they  occupied 
theniFclves  in  embroidery  and  needlework.  They  used  to  sit  in  the 
great  ball,  surrounded  by  their  damsels,  working  with  them  and 
setting  them  their  tasks,  like  the  mantua-makers  and  milliners  of 
the  present  day. 

5.  Some  specimens  of  their  work  are  yet  preserved.  At  Caen, 
in  Normandy,  there  is  a  very  curious  piece  of  the  kind,  called  the 
Bajrjix  tapestry,  which  is  said  to  have  been  the  work  of  Queen 
Matilda,  the  wife  of  the  Conqueror;  though  others  suppose  it  to 
'\ave  been  the  work  of  her  grand-daughter,  Maude,  or  Matilda,  of 
vhos''  disputes  with  Stephen  we  have  just  been  telling  you. 

6.  tJpon  it  is  represented  the  Conquest  of  England,  worked  with 
A'orsted  in  a  series  of  pictures.  The  faces  are  supposed  to  be  por- 
traits, but  it  is  not  possible  that  they  can  be  very  good  likenesses. 

7.  Though  the  wives  of  the  barons  never  went  out  visiting,  they 
were  very  far  from  leading  a  solitary  life.  Every  lady  had  a  num- 
ber of  damsels  attendant  upon  her,  who  were  daughters  of  inferior 
nobles,  or  gentlemen,  or  perhaps  her  own  relatives. 

8.  Besides  this,  the  castle  of  every  powerful  baron  was  a  school 
for  the  young  nobles.  They  had  nothing  to  do  with  books ;  but  were 
instructed  in  everything  that  a  soldier  should  know.  They  were 
taught  to  take  care  of  horses,  horsemanship,  and  the  use  of  arms. 

9.  To  every  castle  belonged  an  enclosed  space  called  the  tilt-yard, 
where  the  young  men  practised  all  the  exercises  requisite  to  make 
good  warriors.  Their  games  were  calculated  to  improve  their 
strength  and  agility.  Eiding  at  the  ring  was  one  of  these ;  the  object 
of  which  was,  while  riding  at  full  speed,  to  run  the  point  of  the  lance 
through  a  small  ring  that  hung  suspended  from  a  high  post. 

XLII. — 1.  How  were  the  young  ladies  generally  educated?  What  is  said  of  nun- 
neries? 2.  In  what  were  young  ladies  instructed?  3,  4.  How  were  they  employed 
after  marriage?  5,  6.  What  is  said  of  the  Bayeux  tapestry?  7.  By  whom  were  the 
ladies  attended?    8.  What  is  said  of  the  education  of  the  young  nobles?    9.  What  wag 


PAGES,   ESQUIRES,   AND   KNIGHTS. — 1150-1200.  7£ 

10.  The  favorite  game  of  the  younger  boys  was  the  quintain. 
The  quintain  itself  was  somewhat  like  a  turnstile,  with  two  arms 
instead  of  four.  On  one  arm  was  painted  a  board  or  shield,  and  to 
the  other  hung  a  bag  of  sand,  or  a  piece  of  wood.  The  play  was 
for  the  boy  to  run  at  the  shield,  and  push  it  with  a  long  stick. 

11.  When  the  shield  was  struck,  of  course  the  arms  of  the  quin- 
tain  to  which  it  was  fastened  turned  round  instantly ;  and,  if  the  boy 
was  not  very  quick  in  his  movements,  the  bag  of  sand  would  give  him 
a  heavy  knock  on  the^  back  before  he  could  get  out  of  the  way. 


-f- 


CHAPTEE  XLIII. 

Pages,  Esquires,  and  Knights. 

1.  The  young  nobles  commenced  their  career  as  pages  or  valets. 
It  was  the  duty  of  the  page  to  assist  his  lord  in  dressing,  to  wait 
upon  him  and  his  lady  and  noble  guests  at  table,  and  to  attend 
him  when  he  rode  abroad.  After  serving  the  requisite  time  as 
page,  he  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  esquire.  He  now  practised 
and  perfected  himself  in  all  knightly  accomplishments.  His  pres- 
ent age  would  make  him  a  more  agreeable  companion  for  the 
ladies.  He  joined  in  their  dances,  and  cheered  them  with  his 
music.  In  their  society  he  acquired  the  courtesy  and  politeness  of 
manners,  which  were  indispensable  to  a  good  knight. 

2.  He  was  relieved  from  the  services  required  of  the  page,  but 
was  called  upon  for  more  dangerous  and  responsible  ones.  He  at- 
tended his  lord  to  battle.  He  was  not  expected  to  take  part  in  the 
fight,  and  was  in  little  danger,  for,  as  he  wore  no  armor,  it  was 
considered  dishonorable  for  a  knight  to  attack  him. 

3.  He  stood  ready  to  render  any  assistance  which  his  lord  might 
require.  If  he  were  overthrown,  he  helped  him  to  rise ;  if  he  were 
wounded,  he  carried  him  from  the  field ;  if  the  wound  were  mortal, 
he  received  his  lord's  dying  commands,  and  after  his  death,  bestowed 
upon  his  body  an  honorable  burial. 

4.  A  writer  of  the  reign  of  Henry  II.,  thus  describes  the  exercises 
of  the  youth :  "  Crowds  of  noble  and  sprightly  youths,  mounted  on 
war  horses,  admirably  trained  to  perform  all  their  turnings  and 
evolutions,  ride  into  the  fields  in  distinct  bands,  armed  with  lances 
and  shields,  and  exhibit  representations  of  battles. 

5.  "  The  hope  of  victory  rouses  the  spirits  of  these  noble  youths  ; 
their  fiery  horses  neigh  and  prance,  and  champ  their  foaming  bits. 
At  length  the  signal  is  given,  and  the  sports  begin.  The  youths, 
divided  into  opposite  bands,  encounter  one  another.     In  one  place, 


the  tilt-yard?     What  was  one  of  the  favorite  games?    10, 11.  What  was  a  favorite  game 
with  the  boys?     Describe  the  game  of  the  quiutain. 

XLIII. — 1.  What  were  the  duties  of  a  page?     What  is  said  of  esquires?    2,  3.  What 
were  thoir  duties  ?     4.  5.  What  does  an  author  of  the  age  of  Henry  II.  say  of  the  exercises 


60  PAGES,    ESQUIRES,    AND    KNIGHTS. 1160-1200. 

some  flee,  and  others  pursue,  without  overtaking  them.  In  another 
place,  one  of  the  bands  overtakes  and  overturns  the  other." 

6.  At  length  the  young  noble  arrived  at  a  proper  age  to  receive 
that  honor,  for  which  he  had  gone  through  a  course  of  long  and 
laborious  preparation.  If  he  was  perfect  in  his  martial  exercises, 
courteous  in  his  demeanor,  polite  and  attentive  to  the  ladies,  obe- 
dient to  his  superiors,  respectful  to  his  elders,  was  skilled  in  music 
and  dancing,  possessed  in  short  of  all  knightly  accomplishir  ents,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  order  of  knights. 

7.  Every  knight  had  the  power  of  conferring  this  dignity.  Some- 
times an  esquire  had  an  opportunity  of  performing  some  gallant 
action  in  battle,  and  was  knighted  upon  the  field.  This  was  es- 
teemed the  most  honorable  mode  of  obtaining  it.  Such  a  one  was 
called  a  knight-banneret. 

8.  Kneeling  down  before  the  knight  who  was  to  bestow  the 
honor,  he  received  a  blow  on  the  left  shoulder  with  a  sword,  from 
the  knight,  who  said,  "  In  the  name  of  God,  of  St.  George,  and  of 
St. Michael  the  Archangel,  rise  up.  Sir  John!"  or  "Sir  Thomas," 
or  whatever  else  the  name  might  be. 

9.  But  the  process  was  usually  longer,  and  accompanied  with 
much  ceremony,  and  many  solemnities.  The  candidate  for  knight- 
hood prepared  himself  by  fasting  and  prayer.  Having  bathed  and 
clothed  himself  in  a  white  garment,  as  a  symbol  of  the  purity  and 
truth  that  must  distinguish  his  future  life,  he  entered  the  church, 
and,  advancing  to  the  altar,  presented  his  sword  to  the  priest,  who 
blessed  it,  and  then  returned  it  to  him. 

10.  The  novice  then,  with  clasped  hands,  went  and  fell  upon  his 
knees  before  the  elder  knight,  who  took  from  him  the  sword,  and 
administered  the  oath.  He  swore  to  speak  the  truth ;  to  maintain 
the  right ;  to  protect  the  distressed ;  to  practise  courtesy ;  to  defend 
his  religion ;  to  despise  the  allurements  of  ease,  and  to  vindicate  in 
every  perilous  adventure  the  honor  of  his  name. 

11.  He  was  then  invested  by  the  knights,  or  ladies,  or  damsels 
present,  with  the  exterior  marks  of  chivalry,— his  spurs,  his  coat  of 
mail,  his  brassards,  (the  covering  for  the  arms,)  his  gauntlets  or  iron 
gloves ;  and  lastly  his  sword  was  buckled  on.  Then  the  elder  knight, 
rising  from  his  seat,  gave  him  the  blow  on  his  shoulder,  or  accolade, 
and  this  was  intended  as  a  warning  of  the  sufferings  he  would  be 
called  upon  to  bear. 

12.  While  giving  the  accolade,  the  elder  knight  repeated  the  same 
words  as  in  the  former  case.  The  helmet,  buckler,  and  lance,  were 
now  given,  after  which,  mounting  and  curvetting  his  steed,  bran- 
dishing his  lance,  and  glittering  his  sword,  the  new  knight  paraded 
about  amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  people. 

13.  There  were  some  knights  w^ho  devoted  their  lives  to  the  pro- 
tection of  the  injured  and  helpless.  They  were  not  formed  into  any 
regular  body,  but  were  quite  independent  of  one  another,  and  trav- 

of  the  youth?  6.  What  were  the  requisites  of  a  knight?  7.  Who  had  the  power  of 
knighting?  What  was  a  knight-banneret?  8.  With  what  ceremony  were  such  made 
knights?  9, 10,  11,  12.  Relate  the  usual  process  of  making  a  knight.  13.  What  is  8ai(' 
of  knights-errant?    14.  What  of  chivalry? 


SURNAMES. 1150-1200.  81 

elled  about  from  place  to  place  for  the  purpose  of  redressing  griev- 
ances.    These  were  called  Icnights-errant. 

14.  This  class  of  kn.iglits  might  well  do  a  great  deal  of  good  in 
those  lawless  times,  when  might  made  right.  The  whole  institution 
of  chivalry,  as  the  system  was  called,  of  which  knighthood  was  one 
of  the  chief  characteristics,  did  infinite  service  in  softening  the  fero- 
cious manners  of  the  times.  It  had  its  origin  in  France,  and  no 
traces  of  it  have  been  found  among  the  plain  and  rustic  Saxons. 

TABLE  OF  THE  NORMAN  KINGS. 

Began  to  reign.  Reigned. 

.     William  I.,  the  Conqueror. 

;     HPrlry  If  "^"''  }  '^^^  ^^  ^^'"^^^^^  *^"  Conqueror.        , 
.     Stephen,  son  of  Adela,  daughter  of  William  the 
Conqueror,  and  the  Count  of  Blois. 

CHILDREN   OF  HENRY   I. 

William,  lost  in  the  White  Ship. 

Matilda,  wife  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  afterwards  of  Geoffrey  Plan 
tagenet,  Earl  of  Anjou.     She  is  commonly  called  the  Empress  Maude. 


10(]6^  • 

.  21 

1087  i  . 

.  13 

1100  . 

.  35 

1135  . 

.  19 

r  CHAPTER   XLIV. 

Surnames. — Of  the  Education  of  Henry  II. — Learned  Men  of  that 
Age. — About  the  only  Ejiglishjntm  that  ever  was  made  Pope. 

1.  When  the  Normatls  went  over  to  England,  many  of  their 
leaders  would  naturally  have  the  same  Christian  name.  To  distin- 
guish one  from  the  other,  they  were  called  by  the  name  of  the  place 
from  which  they  came ;  as,  for  example,  Robert  d'Evreux,  Henry 
d'Arcy,  Walter  de  Courtenay,  &c.,  which  mean  Robert  of  Evreux, 
Henry  of  Arcy,  &c. 

2.  Their  children  wishing  to  preserve  the  remembrance  of  their 
origin,  also  called  themselves  by  the  same  names ;  but  in  the  course 
of  time  the  French  word  de,  meaning  of,  was  eithei  dropped  en 
tirely,  6v  made  part  of  the  last  name,  as  Devreux,  Darcy,  &c. 

3.  It  was  soon  found  that  family  names  were  not  only  honorable, 
but  convenient ;  accordingly  they  became  universal ;  but  at  the  time 
of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  they  were  assumed  only  by  noble 
families ;  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  they  were  adopted  by  the 
lower  orders  of  people. 

4.  When  they  began  to  use  them,  sometimes  they  added  their 
father's  name  with  son  at  the  end  of  it,  as,  Thomas  Johnson;  an "3 
sometimes  their  mother's  name,  as,  Horatio  Nelson;  or,  perhaps" 

XLIV.— 1,  2.  What  is  said  of  the  use  of  surnames  by  the  Norman  nobles?  3,4. 
Whence  were  they  g-vnerally  formed  for  the  other  classes?     5.  Wliat  of  the  name  Plan 


82  LEARNED    MEN    OF    THAT   AGE. — 1150. 

they  took  their  father's  nickname,  as,  Hobbs  from  Robert,  Batea 
from  Bartholomew,  Hodges  from  Roger,  &c.,  and  hence  also  Gib- 
son, Sampson,  &c.  Some  took  their  name  from  their  trade,  or 
office ;  as  Smith,  Weaver,  Walker,  (which  is  Fuller  in  old  English,) 
Porter,  Shepherd,  Spencer,  (that  is,  steward.) 

5.  I  have  already  told  you  that  Geoffrey  of  Anjou  was  called 
Plantagenet,  and  mentioned  a  derivation  which  an  old  legend  gives 
of  that  name.  The  more  probable  story  is,  that  one  of  the  family 
wore  a  sprig  of  the  plant  genista,  or  broom,  in  his  helmet,  that  his  son 
retained  it,  and  by  this  means  it  became  the  surname  of  the  family. 

6.  Henry  Plantagenet  was  at  this  time  twenty-one  years  of  age ; 
of  the  middle  size,  and  remarkably  strong  and  active.  He  was  very 
lively,  and  interesting  in  conversation.  He  was  rather  inclined  to 
grow  fat,  but  he  guarded  against  it  by  abstemiousness  and  exercise. 

7.  He  was  a  very  graceful  rider,  even  to  the  last  years  of  his  life. 
He  was  educated  in  the  castle  of  the  Duke  of  Gloucester,  one  of  the 
most  learned  as  well  as  virtuous  noblemen  of  the  age.  Under  his 
care,  Henry  acquired  not  only  all  the  common  military  accomplish- 
ments of"  the  times,  but  the  uncommon  one  of  a  taste  for  study. 

8.  He  delighted  in  the  conversation  of  learned  men,  and  had  so 
good  a  memory  that  he  remembered- every  book  he  had  read,  and 
every  face  he  had  seen.  The  invention  or  paper  had  made  it  less 
expensive  to  multiply  books,  though,  as  the  art  of  printing  was  not 
yet  known,  it  was  only  to  be  done  by  transcribing. 

9.  Every  monastery  had  its  writing-room,  whete  the  younger 
monks  were  employed  in  copying  books.  Few  among  the  laity 
could  write,  and  all  the  authors  of  this  time  were  monks  and  priests. 
There  were  many  learned  men,  both  historians  and  poets.  Of  these, 
the  most  eminent  are  William  of  J^almesbury,  Henry  of  Hunting- 
don, and  Giraldus  Cambrensis. 

10.  In  this  age  lived  Nicholas  Breakspear,  the  only  Englishman 
who  was  ever  made  pope.  When  a  lad  he  was  a  servant  in  the 
Abbey  of  St.  Albans.  Being  reproached  for  idleness,  he  left  the 
abbey  and  went  to  Paris,  where  it  was  the  custom  for  English 
students  to  resort,  as  the  University  of  Paris  was  then  the  best  in 
Europe. 

11.  At  Paris  he  applied  himself  so  earnestly  to  study,  that  he 
obtained  the  notice  of  Pope  Eugenius  III.,  who,  after  a  time,  made 
him  a  cardinal,  as  the  highest  dignitaries  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  under  the  rank  of  pope,  are  called.  In  1164  he  was  chosen 
pope,  and  took  the  name  of  Adrian  IV. 

tagenet?  6.  What  of  the  personal  appeamnce  of  Henry  II.?  7.  By  wliom  was  he  edu- 
cated? What  taste  did  he  acquire?  8.  What  had  made  books  cheaper?  9.  Of  what 
class  were  the  authors. of  this  age?  Who  were  the  most  emiuent?  10,  11.  What  :i 
■aid  cf  Nicholas  BreiUspear?    - 


"^M 


MORE   ABOUT    HENRY    II. 1150. 


83 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

More  about  Hem-y  Jl. — Conduct  and  Character  of  Queen  Elearwr. 


QUEEN   ELEANOR  AND  ROSAMOND. 

1.  Henhy  II.  inherited  all  that  was  good  and  admirable  in  his 
grandfather's  character,  without  his  bad  qualities.  He  was  the  first 
king  since  Edward  the  Confessor  who  had  come  fairly  by  the  crown ; 
so  that  the  people  of  England  were  prepared  to  receive  him  with 
great  joy  fulness. 

2.  The  Saxon  blood  which  he  inherited  from  his  grandmother 
made  him  highly  acceptable  to  the  English,  who  were  pleased  to 
think  that  in  him  the  old  Saxon  line  was  restored.  Henry  was 
very  powerful,  from  his  territories  on  the  continent  of  Europe, 
before  he  succeeded  to  the  crown  of  England. 

3.  He  received  possession  of  Normandy  when  he  was  sixteen 
years  old.  By  his  father's  death,  in  1151,  he  became  possessed  of 
Anjou,  Touraine,  and  Maine.  The  year  after,  he  married  Eleanor, 
heiress  of  Guienne  and  Poitou.  She  was  many  years  older  than 
himself,  and  had  before  been  married  to  the  King  of  France. 

4.  That  monarch  had  been  separated  from  her  for  the  alleged 

XLV.— 1.  How  was  Henry  received  by  the  English  people?  3.  What  wero  his  posses- 
Rinns  on  the  continent  of  Europe?     Whom  did  h<-  marry?     4,  What  is  said  of  his  wifo' 


84  CHARACTER   OF   ELEANOR. 

reason  that  she  was  his  fourth  or  fifth  cousin,  and  marriage  between 
persons  even  distantly  related  is  forbidden  by  the  Roman  Catholic 
church.  But  the  true  reason,  doubtless,  was  that  she  was  a  very 
troublesome  woman ;  and  Henry  soon  perceived  that  he  had  paid  a 
dear  price  for  the  rich  provinces  she  had  brought  him.  She  was  con- 
stantly exciting  his  sons  to  rebellion,  and  it  is  said  she  administered 
poison  to  Rosamond,  or  the  "  fair  Rosamond,"  as  she  is  called  in 
history,  and  thus  caused  her  death. 

5.  The  first  thing  that  Henry  did  on  coming  to  the  throne,  was 
to  send  away  all  the  foreign  soldiers  that  Stephen  had  brought  into 
England,  and  to  order  all  the  castles  that  had  been  built  during 
the  civil  wars  to  be  demolished.  He  also  confirmed  the  charter  of 
privileges  to  the  people.  It  has  been  said  that  "no  king  in  so 
short  a  time  had  done  so  much  good,  and  gained  so  much  love, 
since  Alfred." 

6.  In  1155  he  recovered  the  territory  which  Stephen  had  ceded 
to  the  King  of  Scotland.  He  then  carried  his  arms  against  the 
Welsh,  who  were  very  troublesome  neighbors,  and  only  granted 
them  peace  upon  terms  favorable  to  himself. 

7.  We  next  find  him  engaged  in  a  war  with  the  King  of  France, 
which,  after  several  years'  continuance,  was  ended  by  a  marriage 
between  his  eldest  son,  Henry,  an  infant  five  years  old,  and  Mar- 
guerite, the  daughter  of  the  King  of  France,  who  was  not  yet  out 
of  her  cradle. 

8.  In  1165  he  received  a  still  further  accession  of  power ;  for  the 
Duke  of  Brittany,  finding  himself  unable  to  keep  in  subjection  his 
turbulent  barons,  resigned  his  territories  to  Henry,  to  hold  them  in 
trust  for  Constantia,  his  daughter,  who  was  betrothed  to  Geofirey, 
the  third  son  of  the  king. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

Thomas  a  Bechet. — How  he  lost  his  rich  Cloak. 

1.  We  must  now  introduce  you  to  Thomas  k  Becket,  who  was  at 
this  time  a  very  distinguished  person,  and  whose  quarrels  with  King 
Henry  were  a  subject  of  concern  and  interest  even  to  many  foreign 
potentates.  This  celebrated  man  was  the  son  of  a  citizen  of  Lon- 
don, and  was  the  first  Anglo-Saxon  who  had  arrived  at  any  kind 
of  eminence  since  the  Conquest. 

2.  He  had  early  been  remarked  for  his  great  abilities,  and  for  his 
attachment  to  the  cause  of  Matilda.  When  Henry  came  to  the 
throne,  he  selected  Becket  as  his  favorite  and  companion,  and  at 
length  made  him  his  chancellor,  which  is  the  third  dignity  in  the 
kingdom. 

3.  Becket  now  indulged  himself  in  every  kind  of  luxury  and  mag- 

5.  What  did  Henry  do  in  England?    6.  In  what  wars  did  he  engjige?     7.  How  was  the 
war  with  France  ended?     8.  What  accession  of  power  did  he  receive  in  1165? 
XLVI. — 1.  Who  was  Thomas  ^  Becket?     2.  To  what  office  did  Henry  appoint  him 


THOMAS   A    BECKET.  85 

nificeiice.  He  never  moved  without  a  numerous  train  of  servants; 
his  ordinary  retinue  when  upon  a  journey  consisted  of  two  hundred 
knights,  each  having  his  own  attendants ;  there  were  eight  wagons 
containing  provisions,  furniture,  and  clothes,  besides  twelve  pack- 
horses  loaded  with  plate,  books,  and  money. 

4.  To  each  wagon  was  chained  a  fierce  mastiff,  and  on  each  pack- 
horse  sat  a  monkey.  In  his  dress,  Becket  was  splendid  in  the  ex- 
treme; the  luxury  of  his  table  and  of  his  furniture  was  greater 
than  had  ever  been  seen  before. 

5.  Fitz-Stephen,  who  was  his  secretary,  and  wrote  the  history 
of  his  life,  states  as  an  instance  of  his  extreme  delicacy,  "that  in 
winter  his  apartments  were  every  day  covered  with  clean  hay  and 
straw,  and  in  summer  with  green  rushes,  or  boughs,  that  the  gentle- 
men who  paid  court  to  him,  and  who  could  not,  by  reason  of  their 
number,  find  seats  at  table,  might  not  soil  their  fine  clothes  by  sit- 
ting on  a  dirty  floor," 

6.  Though  Becket  had  been  admitted  to  the  first  order  in  the 
priesthood,  he  considered  himself  more  a  layman  than  an  ecclesi- 
astic, and  employed  his  leisure  in  hunting,  hawking,  and  similar 
amusements.  He  also  engaged  in  military  affairs,  and  conducted 
700  knights,  at  his  own  expense,  to  attend  the  king  in  his  war  in 
France. 

7.  His  house  was  a  place  of  education  for  the  sons  of  the  chief 
nobility,  and  the  king  was  often  present  at  the  entertainments  he 

five.    As  an  instance  of  the  familiarity  with  which  the  king  treated 
ecket,  Fitz-Stephen  tells  the  following  story : 

8.  One  day,  while  they  were  riding  together  in  the  streets  of  Lon- 
don, they  met  a  poor  beggar  shivering  with  cold.  The  king  made 
the  observation  that  it  would  be  a  good  deed  to  give  that  poor  man 
a  warm  coat.  The  chancellor  agreed,  and  added,  "  You  do  well, 
sir,  in  thinking  of  such  a  good  action." 

9.  "  Then  he  shall  have  one  presently,"  said  the  king,  and,  seizing 
on  the  chancellor's  cloak,  which  was  of  scarlet  lined  with  ermine,  he 
tried  to  pull  it  off.  The  chancellor,  not  liking  to  part  with  it,  held 
it  fast,  and  the  king  and  he  were  near  pulling  one  another  off  their 
horses  in  the  scuffle.  At  last,  Becket  letting  the  cloak  go,  the  king 
gave  it  to  the  beggar,  who  was  not  a  little  astonished  at  the  scene 
and  at  the  gift. 


CHAPTEE  XLVII. 

Henry  attempts  to  check  the  Usurpations  of  the  Clergy. — They  resist. — 
Death  of  Becket. 

1.  At  the  time  of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  the  usurpations 
of  the  clergy  had  reached  such  a  height  as  to  make  it  almost  a  mat- 


3,  4.  What  in  said  of  his  style  of  living?    5.  What  instance  is  given  of  his  consideration 
for  his  courtiers  ?    8,  9.  Relate  the  story  of  the  loss  of  his  cloak. 


86 


USURPATIONS    OF    THE   CLERGY. 


ter  of  doubt,  whether  the  king  or  the  priests,  particularly  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  should  rule  the  kingdom. 

2.  Henry  was  not  of  a  spirit  tamely  to  submit  to  the  encroacii- 
ments  of  subjects.  But  the  obligations  which  he  was  under  to 
Theobald,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  prevented  him  from  taking 
any  measures  to  check  them  during  the  lifetime  of  that  prelate. 

3.  But  after  his  death,  he  determined  to  exert  himself  with  ac- 
tivity, and,  that  he  might  be  secure  against  any  opposition,  he 
advanced  Becket  to  that  dignity,  feeling  sure  that  he  could  depend 
on  his  compliance  with  his  wishes. 


5=^ 


THOMAS   A   BECKET  AS  ARCHBISHOP. 

4.  But  no  sooner  was  Becket  established  in  his  new  dignity,  than 
he  seemed  changed  in  character,  as  well  as  in  condition.  He  re- 
noiuiced  all  his  gay  and  active  amusements,  and  was  always  seen 
with  a  book  in  his  hand,  or  else  absorbed  in  deep  meditation. 

5.  He  affected  the  greatest  austerities ;  he  wore  sackcloth  next  to 
his  skin,  fed  upon  bread  and  water,  tore  his  back  with  whips  and 
scourges,  ani  every  day  washed  the  feet  of  thirteen  poor  beggars. 
In  short,  the  ostentation  of  affected  sanctity  made  him  take  a  satis- 
faction in  inflicting  on  himself  the  severest  penances. 


XLVIL— 1.  What  of  the  power  of  the  clergy  ?    2,  3.  What  of  Henry's  feelings  on  thfi 
subject?     4,  »,  6.  What  chanjje  took  place  in  Becket's  conduct?     7.  What  are  the  con- 


DEATH    OF    BECKET. 1164. 


87 


6.  His  conduct  towards  the  king  was  not  less  changed.  He  with- 
drew from  the  intimacy  with  which  Henry  had  treated  him,  and 
resigned  the  office  of  chancellor,  saying  he  must  now  devote  him- 
self wholly  to  his  spiritual  functions.  So  far  was  he  from  giving 
any  aid  to  the  king's  plans  for  a  reformation,  that  he  set  himself  up 
as  the  champion  of  the  church. 


BECKET'S  DEATH.      Sft-  page  88, 

7.  But  Henry  was  not  to  be  deterred  from  the  execution  cf  his 

Eurpose,  of  lowering  the  pride  and  power  of  the  priests.  In  1164, 
e  summoned  a  general  council  of  the  nobility  and  prelates  at  Clar- 
endon. By  this  assembly  certain  laws  were  made,  called  the  Consti- 
tutions of  Clarendon,  restraining  the  power  of  the  clergy,  and  making 
them  amenable  to  the  laws  of  the  country. 

8.  The  laws  were  so  just,  that  even  Becket  was  compelled  to 
assent  to  them.  But  he  knew  very  well  that  the  pope,  to  whom 
they  were  to  be  submitted  for  ratification,  would  never  submit  to 
enactments  which  in  fact  abolished  his  authority  in  England.  It 
happened  as  he  expected ;  the  pope  rejected  the  laws,  and  Becket 
retracted  his  assent. 

9.  The  king  and  the  prelate  now  lived  in  a  state  of  constant  hos- 
tility. The  clergy  supported  Becket  as  far  as  they  dared,  and  the 
barons  espoused  the  king's  party.  At  one  time,  Becket  was  de- 
prived of  his  dignities  and  estates,  and  banished  from  the  kingdom. 

10.  But  the  influence  of  the  clergy  over  the  unenlightened  people 
compelled  the  king  to  reinstate  him,  and,  upon  one  occasion,  to 
submit  to  the  humiliation  of  holding  the  stirrup,  fs^hilst  the  haughty 
prelate  mounted  his  horse. 


stitirtions  of  Clarendon ?    Why  so  called?    9,  How  did  the  king  tivat  Becket?    10.  What 
mortification  did  the  king  meet  with  ?    11, 12, 13.  Relate  the  particnlarsof  Becket'a  death 


88  BECKET   CANONIZED    BY   THE   POPE. 11 64-1 176. 

11.  For  eight  years  Henry  was  kept  in  a  continual  ferment.  At 
last,  in  a  moment  of  irritation,  he  unhappily  exclaimed,  "  Is  there 
nobody  that  will  rid  me  of  this  turbulent  priest?"  words  which 
were  probably  forgotten  as  soon  as  uttered  by  him. 

12.  But  they  were  not  forgotten  by  some  who  heard  them.  Four 
gentlemen  of  his  household,  who  thought  they  should  do  the  king 
an  acceptable  service,  by  executing  what  they  fancied  to  be  his 
wishes,  set  out  immediately  from  Normandy,  where  the  king  then 
was,  for  England.  When  they  arrived  at  Canterbury,  they  de« 
manded  admittance  into  the  archbishop's  palace. 

13.  The  servants,  apprehensive  of  some  evil  designs,  obliged  theil 
master  to  fly  into  the  cathedral,  thinking  the  sanctity  of  the  place 
would  protect  him.  But  the  assassins  followed  him;  and  as  he 
would  not  submit  to  be  their  prisoner,  they  slew  him  on  the  steps 
of  the  altar,  as  he  knelt  before  it. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

BecJcet  canonized  hxj  the  Pope. — Miracles  performed  at  his  Tomb. — 
Illustrations  of  Manners  of  the  Clergy. 

1.  When  Henry  heard  of  this  murder,  he  was  so  much  shocked 
that  he  shut  himself  up  for  three  days,  and  refused  to  let  any  one 
come  near  him.  At  last  his  attendants  forced  open  the  door  of  his 
room,  and  persuaded  him  to  take  some  refreshment. 

2.  The  king  chiefly  dreaded  the  displeasure  of  the  pope.  He 
found  means,  however,  by  a  well-timed  embassy,  to  divert  the  re- 
sentment of  his  Holiness  from  himself,  and  it  Avas  expended  in  de- 
nunciations of  the  immediate  actors.  The  clergy  now  magnified 
the  sanctity  of  Becket,  and  two  years  after  his  death  he  was  canon- 
ized by  the  pope,  that  is,  added  to  the  list  of  saints. 

3.  His  body  was  then  removed  to  a  magnificent  tomb  which  the 
king  caused  to  be  erected  in  Canterbury  Cathedral.  This  was  en- 
riched by  presents  from  all  parts  of  Christendom,  and  it  is  esti- 
mated that,  in  one  year,  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  pilgrims 
arrived  at  Canterbury,  and  paid  their  devotions  at  his  tomb. 

4.  A  great  many  ridiculous  stories  were  told  by  the  priests,  and 
readily  believed  by  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  people,  of  the 
miracles  performed  here.  At  this  shrine,  not  only  dead  men  were 
said  to  be  restored  to  life,  but  also  cows,  dogs,  and  horses. 

!  A  story  is  related  of  the  successor  of  Becket,  which  illustrates 
the  fiianners  of  the  times.  In  1176,  the  pope's  representative  in 
England,  called  the  pope's  legate,  summoned  an  assembly  of  the 
clergy,  at  which  he  himself  presided.  Richard,  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, and  Roger,  Archbishop  of  York,  both  claimed  the  honor 
of  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  the  legate. 

6.  The  question  of  precedency  created  a  dispute  between  them, 

XLVIII.— 1.  How  was  Heury  affected  by  the  news  of  the  murder  of  Becket?    2.  Whai 


ST.   PATEICK.  W 

which  ended  in  the  monks  and  retainers  of  Aruhlishop  Richard 
falling  upon  Roger,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  assembly,  and 
throwing  him  upon  the  ground ;  they  then  trampled  on  him,  and  he 
was  with  difficulty  rescued  from  their  hands  alive. 

7.  Archbishop  Richard,  by  the  payment  of  a  large  sum  of  money 
to  the  legate,  prevented  any  notice  being  taken  of  this  enormity. 
We  may  relate  another  anecdote  of  this  period,  which  history  has 
preserved. 

8.  As  King  Henry  was  one  day  riding  along,  he  was  met  by  the 
monks  of  St.  Swithan,  who  threw  themselves  prostrate  upon  the 
earth  before  him,  complaining,  with  many  tears  and  much  doleful 
lamentation,  that  the  Bishop  of  Winchester,  who  was  their  abbot, 
had  cut  off  three  dishes  from  their  tables. 

9.  "How  many  has  he  left  you?"  said  the  king.  "Ten  only," 
repUed  the  disconsolate  monks.  "  I  myself,"  exclaimed  the  king, 
"never  have  more  than  three;  and  I  enjoin  your  bishop  to  reduce 
you  to  the  same  number." 

—  r 

•CHAPTER  XLIX.  ^ 

Earl  Strongbow  goes  over  to  Ireland  to  assist  Dermoi  MacmorrogK- 

The  English  conquer  Ireland. 


ST.  PATRICK   IN   IKKLANB. 


1.  In  the  early  part  of  this  volume,  we  have  glanced  at  the  ^tate 


of  the  pope  3  resentment?    3,  4.  What  of  his  tomb  ?     5,  6.  What  story  is  related  of  hi* 
roccessor?     8,  9.  Relate  the  story  of  the  monks  of  St.  Swithan. 


90  THE    ENGLISH   CONQUER   IRELAND. 1171. 

of  Ireland  previous  to  the  invasion  of  Britain  by  the  Romans.  Ite 
history  for  several  centuries  is  involved  in  much  obscurity,  and 
though  we  know  that  many  interesting  events  took  place,  they  are 
not  of  a  nature  to  require  further  notice  here. 

2.  In  the  fifth  century,  the  history  of  Ireland  becomes  more 
defined.  About  the  year  450,  St.  Patrick,  who  was  probably  a 
native  of  France,  was  carried  thither,  he  being  then  in  his  youth. 
He  was  made  a  slave,  and  occupied  for  several  years  in  the  care  of 
sheep.  He  at  length  escaped,  and  having  qualified  himself  by 
study,  and  received  an  education  at  Rome,  as  a  bishop,  he  returned 
to  Ireland  and  devoted  himself  with  great  success  to  the  conversion 
of  the  people  to  Christianity.  They  had  hitherto  professed  the  re- 
ligion of  the  Druids,  but  in  the  space  of  a  few  years  the  priests  and 
princes  yielded,  throughout  nearly  the  whole  island,  to  the  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel  as  taught  by  St.  Patrick. 

3.  From  that  time  Ireland  w^as  a  place  of  refuge  for  learned  men 
of  all  countries ;  and  religion  and  science  flourished  till  the  eighth 
century,  when  the  island  was  overrun  by  the  Danes,  who  destroyed 
nearly  all  the  churches  and  monasteries.  After  the  Danes  were 
expelled,  the  Irish,  having  no  Alfred  to  govern  them,  sank  back 
into  a  state  of  barbarism,  though* they  still  maintained  their  inde- 
pendence of  foreign  dominion. 

4.  At  the  time  of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  Ireland  was  divided 
into  five  separate  kingdoms.  In  1171,  Dermot  Macmorrogh,  one  of 
the  five  kings,  being  driven  from  Leinster,  went  ov^r  to  England  to 
implore  the  assistance  of  Henry,  who  gave  him  some  money  from 
the  royal  treasury,  and  permitted  him  to  enlist  in  his  cause  any  of 
the  English  whom  he  could  prevail  upon  to  join  him. 

5.  Accordingly  the  Earl  of  Pembroke,  surnamed  Sirongbow,  and 
a  few  other  noblemen,  returned  with  Dermot  to  Ireland,  and  with 
their  assistance  soon  recovered  his  kingdom.  Elated  with  his  suc- 
cess, Dermot  now  thought  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  possess  him- 
self of  the  other  four  kingdoms. 

6.  But  Strougbow  did  not  dare  to  engage  in  a  plan  for  the  con- 
quest of  the  whole  island  without  first  asking  Henry's  consent. 
Tlie  king's  answer  was  for  some  time  delayed.  In  the  mean  time 
the  earl  collected  in  England  an  army  of  twelve  hundred  men; 
but  just  as  he  was  setting  out  for  Ireland,  he  received  Henry's  posi- 
tive commands  not  to  proceed. 

7.  Disregarding  these  orders,  he  set  sail.  At  Waterford  he  w^aa 
joined  by  Dermot,  and  there  married  his  daughter  Eva,  and  then 
proceeded  to  the  conquest  of  the  kingdom  of  Meath,  which  was 
easily  effected.  The  year  following,  Dermot  died,  and  Earl  Strong- 
bow,  in  right  of  his  wife,  succeeded  to  his  possessions,  and  thus  be- 
came king  of  a  great  part  of  Ireland. 

8.  Henry  had  been  greatly  displeased  at  the  earl's  disobedience ; 
nor  was  he  appeased  till   Strongbow  went  over  to  England,  and 

XLIX.— 1.  What  df  Ireland  in  early  times  ?  2.  What  of  St.  Patrick  ?  3.  Wlmt  of  Ire- 
land after  the  conversion  of  the  people  to  Christianity?  4.  llow  was  it  divided?  W^hat 
lappened  in  1171?     5.  Who  went  over  to  assist  Dermot?     Wha^id  Dermot  wish  to 


REBELLION    OF    HENRY's   SONS. 117^-1175.  91 

resigned  to  him  all  these  great  acquisitions,  a  part  of  which,  how- 
ever, Henry  allowed  him  to  retain. 

9.  To  divert  the  attention  of  the  people  from  the  murder  of 
Becket,  Henry  determined  to  go  over  to  Ireland  to  take  possession 
of  the  territory  already  subdued,  and  to  complete  the  conquest  of 
the  island.  Accordingly,  in  1172,  he  passed  over  the  channel, 
accompanied  by  a  fleet  of  four  hundred  vessels.  The  several 
princes,  overawed  by  such  a  powerful  force,  submitted  at  once,  and 
this  important  conquest  was  made  without  bloodshed. 


CHAPTER    L. 

Encouraged  by  their  Mother,  the  Sons  of  Henry  rebel. 

1.  In  the  year  1173,  Henry  appeared  to  have  arrived  at  the 
utmost  height  of  gloiy  and  ambition.  He  was  sovereign  of  England, 
Ireland,  and  of  a  third  part  of  France.  All  his  dominions  were  in 
a  state  of  tranquillity.  But  his  future  life  was  to  be  embittered, 
and  his  government  to  be  disturbed,  from  a  quarter  which  he  might 
naturally  have  expected  to  have  been  a  source  of  happiness,  and  to 
have  afforded  support. 

2.  Queen  Eleanor,  whom  he  had  married  for  her  rich  dowry,  not 
only  gave  him  much  vexation  by  her  own  conduct,  but  she  encour- 
aged her  children  to  behave  undutifully  to  their  father.  It  was  no 
uncommon  thing,  in  those  days,  for  a  king  to  cause  his  son  to  be 
crowned  during  his  own  lifetime,  in  order  to  secure  to  him  the  suc- 
cession. 

3.  In  pursuance  of  this  policy,  Henry,  eldest  son  of  the  present 
king,  had  been  crowned  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old.  It  is  said, 
that  at  this  ceremony,  the  king,  in  order  to  give  greater  dignity  to 
it,  officiated  as  one  of  the  retinue;  and  observed  to  his  son  that 
never  was  king  more  royally  served. 

4.  "  It  is  nothing  extraordinary,"  said  young  Henry  to  one  of  his 
courtiers,  "  if  the  son  of  a  count  should  serve  the  son  of  a  king." 
Thi?  saying,  which  passed  at  the  time  as  an  innocent  pleasantry, 
was  afterwards  remembered  as  a  sign  of  that  aspiring  temper  of 
which  he  soon  gave  proof. 

5.  At  the  instigation  of  his  father-in-law,  the  King  of  France,  he 
demanded  immediate  possession  of  the  crown  of  England,  or  else  of 
the  Duchy  of  Normandy.  Before  his  father's  refusal  to  comply 
with  his  unreasonable  demand,  he  entered  into  a  conspiracy  with 
the  kings  of  France  and  Scotland,  and  other  persons  who  were  jeal- 
ous of  Henry's  power,  to  dethrone  him. 

6.  The  prince,  with  his  brothers,  Eichard  and  Geoffrey,  whom  he 
had  persuaded  to  join  him,  fled  to  the  court  of  France;  and  even 

do?     6.  What  did  Earl  Strongbow  do?    7.  Whom  did  Strongbow  marry?    What  did  he 
get  in  right  of  his  wife?    8.  How  did  he  appease  Henry?     9.  What  did  Heni-y  do? 

L. — 1.  What  of  Henry's  condition  in  1173?  2.  What  of  his  queen?  How  did  Henry 
attempt  to  make  sure  the  succession  of  his  son?  3.  4.  What  occurred  at  the  ceremony 
»f  coronation ?     6.  What  demand  did  the  prince  make?     6.  What  Mas  the  consequence 


92 


REBELLIONS    OF    HENRY  S   SONS. 1175. 


Queen  Eleanor,  in  the  disguise  of  a  man,  tried  to  escape  thither  also 
She  was,  however,  discovered,  and  brought  back  to  Henry,  who  shut 
her  up  in  strict  confinement.  The  rebellion  now  broke  out  in  open 
war.  The  King  of  France  and  the  Earl  of  Flanders  attacked  Nor- 
mandy, Avhile  William,  King  of  Scotland,  marched  into  England, 
and  was  joined  by  all  the  discontented  barons. 

7.  Never  did  Henry  act  with  more  wisdom  and  vigor.  The  united 
efforts  of  so  many  enemies  were  unable  to  do  him  serious  injury ; 
and  in  the  year  1175,  all  their  schemes  were  frustrated  by  the  cap- 
ture of  William,  who  was  surprised  and  taken  without  the  walls  of 
Alnwick  Castle,  which  he  occupied. 

8.  This  place  was  assailed  by  about  four  hundred  knights,  and 
William,  without  waiting  for  his  army  to  support  him,  made  a  gal- 
lant attempt  with  only  seventy  of  his  knights  to  repel  the  enemy. 
"  Now  let  us  see  who  are  the  best  knights !"  cried  he,  and  spurred 
forward  against  his  opponents ;  but  his  horse  was  killed  at  the  first 
onset,  and  he  was  taken  prisoner.  His  numerous  troops,  on  hearing 
of  the  disaster,  fled  with  the  greatest  precipitation. 


CHAPTER    LI. 


Singular  Penance  of  Henry  IT. — Fresh  Rebellions  of  his  Sons. — Death 
of  Henry  11. —  The  Reason  of  his  being  called  "Oiirt  ManileJ' 


st^r  '^^ 


HENRY   II.   DOING   PENAXCK  AT  BECKET'S  TOMB. 

1.  The  great  mass  of  the  people  considered  the  troubles  whith 

cf  the  king's  refusal?     By  whom  was  Henry  attacked?    7.  What  of  his  conduct?    8 
What  happened  to  William,  K!?ig  of  Scotland? 


SINGULAR   PENANCE   OP   HENRY   II. — 1175-1178.  93 


befell  Henry,  as  a  proof  of  the  indignation  of  Heaven  for  the 
impious  murder  of  Becket.  The  king,  well  knowing  the  effects 
of  superstition  on  the  minds  of  men,  submitted  to  a  most  singu- 
lar and  humiliating  penance. 

2.  Returning  from  Normandy,  which  he  had  been  putting  in  a 
state  of  defence,  he  proceeded  at  once  to  Canterbury.  When  he 
came  within  sight  of  the  church  he  dismounted  and  walked  bare 
foot  to  Becket's  tomb,  prostrated  himself  before  it  and  remained 
there  fasting  all  one  day  and  night. 

3.  He  then  assembled  the  monks,  and  putting  a  whip  into  the 
hands  of  each,  presented  his  bare  shoulders  to  receive  as  many 
lashes  as  they  might  think  proper  to  inflict  upon  his  royal  back. 
Next  day  the  priest  pronounced  his  pardon,  or  absolution,  as  it  is 
called,  and  the  king  went  to  London,  where  he  soon  heard  the 
joyful  news  of  the  capture  of  William. 

4.  This  had  been  made  on  the  very  day  that  he  had  received  his 
absolution,  and  was  regarded  by  the  people  as  a  proof  that  St. 
Thomas  h  Becket  was  satisfied  with  the  atonement.  Henry  was  in 
bed  when  the  news  was  brought  to  him,  but  he  at  once  arose  and 
called  his  attendants,  that  he  might  tell  them  the  happy  tidings. 

5.  The  King  of  France  was  now  glad  to  make  peace,  and  thus 
everything  turned  out  prosperously  for  England.  Henry's  gen- 
erosity to  his  defeated  enemies  was  much  to  be  admired.  He 
gave  liberty  without  ransom  to  a  large  number  of  noblemen  who 
were  made  prisoners ;  and  he  gave  the  King  of  Scotland  his  lib- 
erty on  condition  that  he  and  his  successors  should  do  homage  to 
the  kings  of  England  for  their  crown. 

6.  He  pardoned  his  sons  on  account  of  their  youth  ;  but  Prince 
Henry  continued  to  give  his  father  a  great  deal  of  vexation,  and 
at  length  again  openly  rebelled.  He  was  actually  leading  an  army 
against  him,  when  the  tumult  of  his  mind  threw  him  into  a  fever. 

7.  Finding  himself  to  be  dying,  he  sent  a  repentant  message  to 
his  father,  entreating  forgiveness,  and  beseeching  that  he  would 
come  and  see  him.  The  king,  thinking  his  illness  to  be  pre- 
tended, refused  to  visit  him,  but  sent  him  his  ring  as  a  token  of 
pardon,  which  the  prince  received  with  thankfulness. 

8.  A  little  before  his  death  he  desired  to  be  laid  on  a  heap  of 
ashes,  with  a  halter  about  his  neck,  to  testify  his  deep  humilia- 
tion and  contrition.  This  was  done,  and  in  this  state  he  expired. 
Henry's  grief,  when  he  heard  that  his  son  was  dead,  was  very 
great  indeed,  and  he  bitterly  reproached  himself  for  having  re- 
fused to  go  to  him.  As  Prince  Henry  left  no  children,  Richaru 
became  the  heir  to  the  throne.  He  was  also  of  a  turbulent  tem- 
per, and  had  behaved  very  ill  to  his  father. 

9.  In  1188  the  melancholy  news  reached  Europe  that  the  Sara- 
cens had  taken  Jerusalem.  All  the  warriors  of  this  quarter  were 
at  once  animated  with  the  desire  of  driving  the  Infidels  from  the 
Holy  City. 

LI. — 1,  2,  3.  Relate  the  particulars  of  King  Henry's  penance.  4.  To  what  did  the 
people  attribute  his  victory  over  William?  Why?  5.  What  was  the  consequence  of 
the  capture  of  William  ?     How  did  Henry  treat  iiis  lat^nemies?     6.  What  more  ^s  said 


94  ABOUT    RICHARD    THE    LION-HEARTED. — 1189. 

10.  Richard  Plantagenet,  and  Philip,  King  of  France,  were 
among  the  first  to  assume  the  cross.  Richard,  jealous  of  the  affec- 
tion of  his  f[ither  for  his  youngest  brother,  John,  wished  to  take 
him  with  him  to  the  Holy  Land;  but  Henry  would  not  consent  to 
this,  and  Richard,  w^hose  fiery  temper  could  not  bear  contradic- 
tion, joined  Philip  in  making  war  upon  Henry,  instead  of  leading 
their  troops  against  the  infidels. 

11.  Henry,  being  totally  unprepared  for  such  an  attack,  w^as 
obliged  to  make  a  disadvantageous  treaty.  But  what  afiiicted  him 
most,  was,  that  John,  his  favorite  son,  had  joined  in  the  rebellion. 
This  seemed  to  weigh  down  the  poor  king's  heart  more  than  any 
other  affliction  of  his  life,  and  he  fell  ill  of  a  fever  occasioned  by 
anxiety. 

12.  Feeling  himself  to  be  dying,  he  desired  to  be  carried  into  a 
church,  and  laid  before  the  altar,  where  he  expired,  on  the  9th  of 
July,  1189,  in  the  fifty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  thirty-fifth  of 
his  reign.  He  was  the  wisest  and  ablest  prince  of  his  time,  and 
the  most  powerful  in  the  extent  of  his  dominion  of  any  that  had 
filled  the  English  throne. 

13.  The  dress  of  the  nobility  was  at  this  period  A^er}^  splendid. 
Some  persons  wore  their  cloaks  so  long  that  they  swept  upon  the 
ground  ;  and  the  sleeves  of  the  gowns  came  down  over  the  fingers, 
to  the  great  inconvenience  of  the  wearers,  who  could  scarcely  either 
walk  or  use  theii  hands.  But  Henry  introduced  the  Anjou  fashion 
of  wearing  short  cloaks,  which  gained  him  the  surname  of  Oiiri 
Mantle. 


CHAPTER  LII. 

Of  Richard  the  Lion-hearted. 

1.  We  are  now  about  to  present  to  the  reader  one  of  the  favorite 
heroes  of  romance;  Richard,  surnamed  Coeur  de  Lion,  or  the  Lion- 
hearted,  on  account  of  his  undaunted  courage.  He  was  very  pre- 
possessing in  his  appearance.  His  eyes  wefe  blue,  and  his  hair, 
what  was  then  much  admired,  of  a  yellow  hue. 

2.  He  was  tall,  and  his  figure  extremely  fine ;  he  had  a  majestic 
and  stately  mien;  and  this,  joined  to  his  great  courage  and  quick- 
ness of  intellect,  gave  him  on  all  occasions  an  ascendency  over 
men's  minds.  He  is  said  by  historians  to  have  been  a  good  poli- 
tician, orator,  and  poet ;  but  though  he  possessed  a  great  deal  of 
talent,  he  was  hot-headed  and  without  judgment. 

3.  His  faults  were,  perhaps,  too  suitable  to  the  unruly  temper  of 

of  Prince  Henry  ?  Who  became  the  heir  to  the  throne  ?  9.  What  happened  in  1188  ? 
10.  What  was  the  cause  of  Richard's  rebellion?  11.  What  success  had  the  rebels? 
What  chiefly  distressed  the  king?  12.  When  did  Henry  II.  die?  What  was  his  age? 
How  long  had  he  reigned?  13.  What  is  said  of  the  dress  of  the  nobility?  Why  was 
Henry  called  Curt  Mantle?  ^ 
Lli. — 1,2.  What  of  Richard  the  Lion-hearted?    4.  How  did  he  treat  his  mothfi   a.od 


ABOUT    KICHARD    THE    LION-HEARTED. — 3191.  95 

tlie  time  be  lived  in,  to  be  then  considered  dangerous  or  repre- 
hensible. For  his  father's  death  he  felt  an  extreme  sorrow,  and  on 
seeing  his  dead  body,  he  exj^ressed  an  agony  of  remorse  for  his  un- 
dutiful  conduct. 

4.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  his  reign  was  to  release  his  mother  from 
her  long  confinement.  He  was  very  generous  to  his  brother  John  ; 
but  this,  instead  of  inspiring  any  feelings  of  gratitude,  only  enabled 
him  the  more  to  injure  his  benefactor. 

5.  Being  desirous  of  acquiring  glory,  Eichard  resolved  to  go  on 
a  crusade.     His  father  had  left  him  a  large  sum  of  money,  but  not 
enough  for  his  purpose ;  so,  in  order  to  increase  it,  he  sold  the  royal 
castles  and  estates;  and  also  put  to  sale  the  offices  of  the  greatest  , 
trust  and  power.  \ 

6.  When  some  of  his  ministers  remonstrated  with  him  on  these 
proceedings,  he  said,  "  He  would  sell  London  itself  if  he  could  find 
a  purchaser."  For  a  large  sum  of  money  he  absolved  the  King  of 
Scotland  from  his  vassalage  to  the  King  of  England,  which,  as  we 
have  stated,  was  the  condition  of  King  William's  release. 

7.  He  also  compelled  his  subjects  to  lend  him  money,  and,  in 
short,  resorted  to  every  means  of  raising  funds,  no  matter  how  un- 
just or  impolitic  they  might  be.  At  length  his  armament  was 
ready,  and  Eichard  nirived  at  Messina,  in  Sicily,  on  the  14th  of 
September,  1190.  Here  he  was  joined  by  Philip,  King  of  France, 
and  it  being  too  late  in  the  season  to  proceed  to  Palestine  imme- 
diately, it  was  agreed  to  pass  the  winter  in  Sicily. 

8.  There  could  scarcely  be  found  two  persons  less  alike  in  charac- 
ter than  these  two  kings.  Eichard,  though  proud  and  domineering, 
was  brave  and  generous.  Philip  was  equally  proud,  but  shy  and 
deceitful.  It  is  not  surprising  that  two  such  opposite  characters 
should  quarrel  before  their  six  months'  residence  in  Sicily  was  over. 

9.  Eichard  had,  in  his  infancy,  been  contracted  in  marriage  to 
Adelais,  sister  of  Philip ;  but  his  father  had  repented  of  the  engage- 
ment, and  would  not  permit  it  to  be  fulfilled  while  he  lived ;  and 
now  Eichard,  having  fallen  in  love  with  Berengaria,  daughter  of  the 
King  of  Navarre,  broke  off*  his  engagement  with  Adelais. 

10.  Early  in  1191,  he  prevailed  with  his  mother  to  bring  the 
Princess  Berengaria  to  Messina.  They  arrived  the  day  before  he 
was  obliged  to  sail ;  but,  it  being  Lent,  during  which  season  mar- 
riages cannot  be  solemnized  in  the  Catholic  Church,  the  union 
could  not  then  take  place. 

11.  Eleanor  returned  to  England,  and  the  princess,  accompanied 
by  the  Queen  of  Sicily,  who  was  Eichard's  sister,  embarked  for  the 
Holy  Land.  A  violent  storm  arose,  and  the  ship  the  two  princesses 
were  in,  was  in  great  danger.  The  King  of  Cyprus,  however,  re- 
fused to  admit  the  vessel  into  his  harbors,  upon  which  Eichard  laid 
siege  to  the  island,  and  in  a  short  time  got  possession  of  it. 

12.  Here  he  and  Berengaria  were  married ;  and  leaving  a  governor 

his  brother?  Was  his  brother  grateful  to  him?  5.  What  did  Richard  resolve  to  do? 
How  did  he  raise  money?  7.  When  did  he  arrive  at  Messina?  Who  joined  hira  there? 
8.  How  did  Richard  and  Philip  differ  in  character  ?  9,  10,  11,  12.  Relate  the  circum- 
Btances  of  the  king's  marriage.     Relate  the  particulars  of  his  voyage  from  Sicily. 


96         EXPLOITS    OF    RICHARD    IN    PALESTINE. 1191-1192. 

in  the  island,  he  sailed  for  Acre,  where  the  King  of  France,  who 
had  left  Sicily  some  time  before,  in  high  displeasure  with  Richard, 
had  already  arrived. 


CHAPTER  MIL 

Exploits  of  Bichard  in  Palestine. — His  vioTekt  Temper  brings  him  intc 
7Vouble. — About  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain,  and  the  Assassins. 

1.  Acre  was  a  large  town  on  the  coast  of  Palestine,  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Saracens,  and  had  been  besieged  for  two  years  by  an 
army  of  Christians  collected  from  all  parts  of  Europe.  The  Chris- 
tians were  now  in  their  turn  surrounded  and  basieged  by  a  large 
army  of  Saracens,  under  the  famous  Saladin. 

2.  The  arrival  of  Richard  revived  the  courage  of  the  Christians. 
He  led  his  troops  to  the  assault  in  person,  and  broke  down  a  postern 
door  with  his  strong  hand  and  weighty  battle-axe.  Saladin,  who 
saw  that  Acre  must  soon  fall  before  such  vigorous  assaults,  gave 
the  citizens  permission  to  make  the  best  terms  they  could  for  them- 
selves. 

3.  On  his  own  part,  he  agreed  to  release  all  his  Christian  prisoners, 
and  to  restore  to  the  crusacHrs  the  cross  on  which  our  Saviour  suf- 
fered— or,  rather,  a  relic  which  bore  that  reputation,  and  which  had 
been  taken  by  him  at  a  former  battle.  But  Saladin  did  not,  or 
could  not,  at  once  comply  with  these  conditions. 

4.  The  impetuous  Richard  M^ould  hear  of  no  delay,  and  put  to 
death  all  his  Mohammedan  prisoners,  to  the  number  of  several  thou- 
sand men.  On  account  of  this  rashness  and  cruelty,  Richard  was 
justly  jchayged  with  the  death  of  as  many  Christian  captives,  whom 
Saladin  slaughtered  by  way  of  reprisal. 

5.  Richard  exhibited  his  violent  temper  upon  another  occasion, 
of  which  he  had  much  personal  cause  to  rue  the  consequence. 
When  the  city  of  Acre  surrendered,  Leopold,  Duke  of  Austria, 
caused  his  own  banner  to  be  displayed  from  the  highest  tower. 
Richard,  highly  exasperated  at  what  he  considered  an  insult, 
ordered  the  standard  to  be  taken  down,  and  being  torn  in  pieces 
and  trampled  under  foot,  it  was  thrown  into  the  ditch. 

6.  Leopold  felt  the  indignity,  but  dissembled  his  anger,  and  cir- 
cumstances gave  him  an  opportunity,  as  we  shall  soon  relate,  of 
taking  an  ample  revenge,  though  at  the  expense  of  his  faith  and 
honor. 

7.  The  knightly  qualities  of  Richard  were  more  agreeable  to  the 
spirit  of  the  age  than  the  more  statesman-like  ones  of  Philip.  The 
rash  valor  and  brilliant  exploits  in  battle  of  the  former  gained  him 
the  applause  of  the  multitude.    Philip,  who  was  of  a  jealous  temper, 

LIIL— 1.  What  of  Acre?    2.  What  did  Richard  do?    3,  4,  5,  6.  What  instances  of 


PHILIP    RETURNS   TO    EUROPE. — 1191-1192.  97 

took  offence  a^t  this;  and  his  hatred  for  Richard  was  continually 
displaying  itself. 

8.  A  contest  had  arisen  between  Conrad,  Marquis  of  Montserrat, 
and  Guy  of  Lusignan,  for  the  empty  title  of  King  of  Jerusalem,  the 
substantial  part,  the  kingdom  itself,  being  in  the  possession  of  the 
Saracens.  Philip  espoused  the  cause  of  Conrad,  whilst  Richard 
maintained  the  right  of  Guy. 

[).  Now  there  was  an  Arab  prince,  called  The  Old  Man  of  the 
Mou7itain,  wlio  ruled  over  a  small  tribe  called  Assassins,  who  dwelt 
on  Mount  Lebanon.  He  had  acquired  such  power  over  his  fanat- 
ical subjects,  that  they  paid  the  most  implicit  obedience  to  his  com- 
mands; and  fancied,  when  they  sacrificed  their  lives  for  his  sake, 
the  highest  joys  of  paradise  would  be  their  certain  reward. 

10.  It  was  the  custom  of  this  prince,  when  he  imagined  himself 
injured,  to  send  some  of  his  subjects  secretly  against  the  aggressor, 
and  no  precaution  was  sufficient  to  guard  any  man,  however  power- 
ful, against  the  attempts  of  the  subtle  and  determined  ruffians. 
From  these  is  derived  the  name  of  assassin,  or  secret  murderer, 
which  is  in  common  use. 

11.  Conrad  had  given  offence  to  this  prince,  who  caused  him  to 
be  murdered.  Everybody  in  Palestine  knew  this  to  be  the  fact. 
But  Philip  affected  to  believe  that  Richard  was  the  instigator  of 
this  crime,  so  entirely  at  variance  with  his  open  and  manly,  though 
violent  character.  He  therefore  selected  a  new  body-guard,  and 
took  other  precautions,  implying  dishonomble  suspicions  of  his 

CHAPTER  LIV. 

Philip  returns  to  Europe. —  The  wicked  Orders  he  leaves  with  his  Gen- 
eral.— More  of  Richard's  Exploits. — Termination  of  his  Career  of 
Victory. — He  receives  news  from  England  which  determines  him  to 
return. 

1.  It  was  not  »long  before  Philip  found  out  that  nothing  but 
barren  laurels  were  to  be  gained  in  this  war  with  the  Saracens, 
and  that  but  a  small  share  of  these  would  fall  to  his  lot.  He  sud- 
denly discovered  that  the  air  of  Palestine  was  not  favorable  to  his 
health,  and  resolved  to  return  home. 

2.  But  before  he  went,  he  made  a  solemn  promise  not  to  make 
my  attempts  on  the  territories  of  Richard,  though  at  this  very  time 
he  entertained  the  full  intention  of  attacking  them  as  soon  as  he  got 
back.  Leaving  his  troops  in  Palestine,  under  the  command  of  the 
Duke  of  Burgundy,  with  secret  orders  to  omit  no  opportunity  of 
mortifying  the  English  king,  he  proceeded  directly  to  Rome. 

3.  Here  all  his  influence  was  exerted  to  procure  from  the  pope 

Richard's  violence  of  temper  ?    7.  What  excited  Philip's  jealousy  of  Richard  ?    9.  What 
of  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mount.ain?     10.  Whence  the  name  of  assassin? 
LIV, — 1.  What  disco   M-y  did  Philip  make?    2.  What  promise  did  he  make  to  Richard ! 


98  MORE   OF    RICHARD'S    EXPLOITS. — 1191-1192. 

an  absolution  from  his  promise  to  Richard.  But  l^s  Holiness,  if 
he  had  not  sufficient  regard  for  justice,  at  least  had  sufficient  regard 
for  appearances,  and  was  politic  enough  not  to  sanction  such  a  gross 
outrage  on  the  rights  of  one  who  at  that  very  moment  was  risking 
his  life  in  the  cause  of  the  church ;  he  therefore  positively  refused 
to  comply. 

4.  In  the  mean  time,  Kichard,  unsuspicious  of  these  designs, 
thought  only  of  his  open  enemies,  and  was  rivalling  in  the  Holy 
Land  the  imaginary  actions  of  the  heroes  of  romance.  He  defied 
armies  with  a  handful  of  men,  and  challenged  to  combat,  on  his 
own  pei'son,  an  extended  line  of  thousands,  not  one  of  whom  dared 
to  quit  the  ranks  to  encounter  him. 

5.  Notwithstanding  the  obstacles  constantly  thrown  in  his  way 
by  the  adherents  of  the  King  of  France,  Richard  at  length  arrived, 
after  gaining  a  victory  over  Saladin,  in  one  of  the  greatest  battles 
of  the  age,  within  sight  of  Jerusalem,  the  object  of  his  enterprise. 
But  the  French  troops  positively  refused  t5  advance  to  the  siege, 
and  Richard,  to  his  great  mortification,  was  compelled  to  stop  short 
in  his  career  of  victory,  and  return  to  Ascalon. 

6.  This  march  is  described  as  the  most  painful  of  all  that  the 
army  made ;  and  when  at  last,  worn  out  by  fatigue  and  famine,  it 
arrived  at  Ascalon,  the  place  was  found  to  be  in  so  ruinous  a  con- 
dition, that  it  became  necessary  immediately  to  repair  it.  Richard 
set  the  example,  by  working  with  more  ardor  than  any  common 
laborer. 

7.  In  the  mean  time,  affairs  in  England  had  gone  on  very  badly. 
Those  to  whom  the  government  had  been  intrusted,  quarrelled 
among  themselves,  and  the  whole  kingdom  was  in  a  state  of  dis- 
turbance. When  the  King  of  France  reached  home,  he  lo&t  no 
time  in  inviting  Prince  John  to  unite  with  him  in  seizing  on 
Richard's  temtories. 

8.  John  was  obly  prevented  from  doing  so  by  Queen  Eleanor, 
who  appears  at  this  time  to  have  acted  like  a  wise  and  good  woman. 
Philip  would  then  have  invaded  Normandy  with  his  own  forces ;  but 
his  barons  refused  to  accompany  him  in  so  unjust  and  ungenerous 
an  attempt.  The  news  of  these  events  reached  Ascalon  about  the 
middle  of  April,  1192,  and  Richard  resolved  to  return  home. 

9.  But  while  he  was  making  his  preparations,  he  heard  that 
Saladin  was  besieging  Joppa,  and  that  the  Christians  there  were 
reduced  to  the  last  extremity.  Giving  up,  therefore,  his  design  of 
immediately  embarking,  he  went  directly  to  Joppa,  and  defeated 
the  pagans  in  a  furious  battle. 

10.  Soon  after  this,  he  fell  ill,  and  being  unable  to  take  advan- 
tage of  his  success,  he  concluded  a  truce  with  Saladin  for  three 
years,  three  months,  three  weeks,  three  days,  and  three  hours. 

3.  What  did  he  do  when  he  arrived  at  Rorao?  4,  5.  What  of  Richard's  exploits  ?  What 
compelled  him  to  retreat?  7,8.  What  was  the  state  of  affairs  in  England?  9.  Wba« 
prevented  Richard's  retail  ? 


SHIPWRECK    OF   RICHARD   CCEUR   DE   LION. — 1191-1192.      99 


CHAPTER    LV. 

Shipwreck  of  Richard. — He  falls  into  the  hands  of  his  Enemies,  atvd 
suffers  Imprisonment. — Story  of  his  faithful  Minstrel. 


RICHARD  I.  AS  A  PILGRIM. 

1.  On  the  9th  of  October,  1192,  Richard  set  out  on  his  dis/^trous 
voyage.  His  daring  courage  had  made  a  deep  impression  on  the 
minds  of  the  Infidels.  Long  after  he  had  ceased  to  trouble  the 
world,  the  Saracen  mothers  would  bring  their  stubborn  children  to 
obedience  by  the  threat  of  his  coming ;  and  the  horseman  would 
upbraid  his  starting  steed,  by  the  exclamation,  "Ha,  fool!  dost 
thou  think  Richard  is  in  the  bush  ?" 

2.  After  many  storms  at  sea,  Richard  was  at  last  shipwrecked  on 
the  coast  of  Dalmatia.  He  now  put  on  the  disguise  of  a  pilgrim, 
hoping  to  pass  through  Germany  without  being  known.  But  the 
traveller  displayed  a  generosity  and  profuseness  more  suitable  to  the 
king  he  was,  than  to  the  pilgrim  he  wished  to  appear. 

3.  The  intelligence  soon  spread  through  Germany,  that  Hugh  the 
Merchant  was  no  other  than  Richard  Plantagenet.  The  king  arrived, 
however,  without  molestation,  at  Frisak,  near  Saltzburg;  and  the 
governor  there  sent  one  of  his  knights  to  discover  who  he  was. 

4.  This  man  was  by  birth  a  Norman,  and  instantly  knew  the 
king ;  but  instead  of  betraying  him,  he  presented  him  with  a  horse, 
and  entreated  him  to  fly  and  save  himself.  Accompanied  by  a  boy 
and  one  other  attendant,  he  reached  a  town  near  Vienna. 

LV. — ^1.  What  impi  ^ssion  did  Richard  leave  upon  the  Saracens?    2,  P»  4,  5,  6.  RelaU 


k 


100         STORY   CW/^IS   FAITHFUL   MINSTREL. — 1191-1192. 

5.  Here  he  entered  an  inn,  and  that  no  suspicion  might  be  ex 
cited  concerning  his  rank,  busied  himself  in  turning  the  spit;  but 
he  forgot  to  conceal  a  splendid  ring  which  he  wore  on  his  finger ;  and 
a  man  who  had  seen  him  at  Acre  knew  him,  and  gave  information 
to  his  bitter  enemy,  the  Duke  of  Austria,  who  had  never  forgotten 
or  forgiven  the  insult  offered  him  after  the  capture  of  that  city. 

6.  The  duke  meanly  seized  the  opportunity ^gf^vengeance,  which 
chance  afforded  him,  and  threw  the  unfortunate  pTince  into  prison. 
His  place  of  confinement  was  long  kept  concealed.  There  is  a  very 
pretty  story  told  of  the  manner  in  which  itwas  discovered ;  whether 
it  be  true  or  not  we  cannot  say,  but  at  any  rate  it  is  worth  repeating. 

7.  Ei chard  was  a  great  friend  of  the  Gay  Scietice,  as  minstrelsy 
was  called,  and  often  practised  the  arts  of  song  and  music  himself. 
Blondel  de  Nesle,  a  favorite  minstrel,  who  had  attended  his  person, 
devoted  himself  to  discover  the  place  of  his  confinement.  He  wan- 
dered in  vain  from  castle  to  palace,  till  he  had  learned  that  a  strong 
fortress,  on  the  banks  of  the  Danube,  was  watched  with  peculiar 
strictness,  as  if  containing  some  prisoner  of  distinction. 


;:?mKv  ... 

RICHARD  DISCOVERED  BY  BLONDEL.. 

8.  The  minstrel  took  his  harp,  and,  approaching  the  castle  aa 
near  as  he  durst,  came  so  near  the  walls  as  to  hear  the  captive 
Boothing  his  imprisonment  with  music.  Blondel  touched  his  harp ; 
the  prisoner  heard  and  was  silent ;  upon  this  the  minstrel  played 
the  first  part  of  a  tune  known  to  Richard,  who  instantly  played  the 
second  part ;  and  thus  the  faithful  servant  knew  that  the  captive 
was  no  other  than  his  royal  master. 

his  adventure*  till  his  seizure  by  the  Duke  of  Austria.    7,  8.  How  was  it  ascertained, 
vbere  he  was  confined?    9, 10, 11, 12.  Relate  his  story  till  his  release. 


INTERDICT   AND   EXCOMMUNICATION. — 1194.  lOl 

9.  But  this  knowledge  was  of  littSe  5ttv:ft(Mii'ate  advantage  to 
Richard;  for  when  the  news  reached  tlK?*l3nlpcroVof  Gertriany,  he 
compelled  the  duke  to  surrender  li^'  pr^ouer..  .TJig  ^tv«at^ei\t  pf 
Richard  was  now  worse  than  before;.  l:ie^*YasJcoii>iiitJ:eiljt(i  i'^cJo^ilJ^ 
dungeon  and  loaded  with  chains. 

10.  How  long  he  remained  here,  we  do  not  exactly  know ;  but 
after  a  while  he  was  taken  to  the  town  of  Worms,  where  a  meeting 
of  the  princes  of  Germany,  called  a  diet,  was  to  be  held.  While 
Richard  was  on  the  road  to  this  place,  he  was  met  by  some  persona 
sent  by  his  mother  to  attend  upon  him. 

11.  He  received  them  very  cordially,  and  inquired  with  the 
greatest  kindness  for  all  his  friends.  When  they  told  him  of  his 
brother's  behavior,  of  which  we  shall  tell  you  more  particularly  in 
a  short  time,  he  was  extremely  shocked ;  but  soon  recovering  his 
cheerfulness,  said,  with  a  smile,  "  My  brother  John  is  not  made  for 
conquering  kingdoms." 

12.  The  emperor,  to  justify  his  conduct,  charged  Richard  before 
the  diet  with  many  crimes  committed  in  Palestine.  But  Richard 
defended  himself  so  eloquently,  and  pathetically,  that  many  persons 
shed  tears  on  hearing  him,  and  all  were  convinced  of  the  malice  of 
his  accusers.  The  emperor  was  compelled  to  treat  him  better,  and 
to  agree  to  set  him  at  liberty  on  payment  of  a  ransom,  equal  tft 
about  one  and  a  half  million  of  dollars. 


CHAPTER  LVl. 

Explanation  of  the  terms  Interdict  and  Excommunication. — Richard 
returns  to  England. — Pardons  his  brother  John. 

1.  When  the  news  of  this  agreement  reached  France,  it  threw 
Philip  into  the  greatest  consternation,  and  he  sent  a  secret  message 
to  Prince  John,  "  bidding  him  take  care  of  himself,  for  the  devil 
was  unchained."  Philip  and  John  then  tried  to  bribe  the  Emperor 
of  Germany  to  keep  Richard  a  prisoner  a  year  longer. 

2.  Being  exceedingly  avaricious,  he  longed  to  accept  their  offer; 
but  he  dared  not  do  so,  for  the  pope,  considering  Richard  as  the 
champion  of  Christendom,  threatened  the  emperor  with  excommu- 
nication if  he  did  not  fulfil  his  engagement. 

3.  There  were  two  punishments  by  the  infliction  of  which  the  pope 
endeavored  to  maintain  his  authority.  One  was  by  forbidding,  or  in- 
terdicting, divine  service  to  be  publicly  performed.  When  a  nation 
was  wn^QY  2iXi  interdict,  as  it  is  called,  the  churches  were  shut;  the  bells 
were  not  rung,  the  dead  were  buried  in  ditches  and  holes,  without  the 
performance  of  the  funeral  service ;  diversions  of  all  kinds  were  for- 
bidden, and  everything  wore  an  appearance  of  mourning  and  gloom. 

LVI.— -1,  2.  What  did  Philip  do  when  ho  lieard  of  the  treaty  for  Richard's  release  ?  What 
saved  Richard  from  his  machinations?    3.  What  was  an  interdict?    4.  What  was  excom- 

9* 


102 


RICHARD    RETURNS   TO    ENGLAND. 1194. 


4.  ExeQmmunic(dipn.  \^as  ^  worse  sentence  still,  and  was  levelled 
at  ind^.viduals,,as  an'ifrt^rdirft  was  at  a  collection  of  people,  such  as  a 
village,  a  state,, or  a  natipn.  A  person  who  was  excommunicated  was 
c,onsjde''ed  as  \ii?  Wlj  and  polluted ;  every  one  was  forbidden  to  come 
UeavMrn;  or*  r^der  him  any  fh'endly  offices.  Thus,  if  the  sentence 
could  have  been  enforced,  it  was  possible  for  the  most  potent  monarch 
to  become,  by  a  single  mandate  of  the  pope,  a  miserable  outcast. 


RICHARD  FORGIVING   HIS  BROTHER  JOHN. 

5.  Queen  Eleanor,  as  you  may  well  believe,  and  everybody  in 
England  who  loved  King  Richard, — and  there  were  many  who  did, 

—used  every  means  to  raise  the  money  required  for  his  ransom. 
A  general  tax  was  levied  to  procure  it,  but  this  not  proving  suffi- 
cient, the  nobles  voluntarily  contributed  a  quarter  of  their  yearly 
incomes,  and  the  silver  that  was  in  the  churches  and  monasteries 
was  melted  down. 

6.  When  the  money  was  collected.  Queen  Eleanor  took  it  her- 
self to  Germany,  and  had  the  happiness  of  receiving  her  son,  and 
bringing  him  to  England.  He  landed  at  Sandwich  on  the  20th  of 
March,  1194,  after  an  absence  of  four  years.  He  was  received  witli 
overflowings  of  joy,  and  in  London  with  such  a  display  of  wealth, 
that  the  Germans  who  accompanied  him  exclaimed,  "  If  ouv  empe- 
ror had  known  the  riches  of  England,  your  ransom,  0  king,  would 
have  been  much  greater !" 

7.  After  Richard  had  settled  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom,  he  set 


munication?     6.  When  did  Richard  reach  England?    7,  8.  How  did  he  treat  his  brothel 
John? 


DEATH    OF   RICHARD. — IIUJ.  108 

out  for  Normandy,  to  defend  it  from  an  a|tapli  wiih  whigH  it' was 
threatened  by  Pliilip.  On  the  morning  a;(tjer;H^  }ai!,^ijig  at'JB'iiJJeur, 
Prijice  John  suddenly  rushed  into  £is  apartment^  and,  tnrowing 
himself  at  his  feet,  implored  his  for^ven«:^s.J  »  >*  ;';  .";  ',\  I  I  ,\ 
8.  This  the  king  immediately  granted',  'thoag]^  'he'ebuM  *nti*fi§el. 
any  affection  for  such  a  brother.  Indeed,  he  soon  after  said  to 
some  of  his  attendants,  "  I  wish  I  may  forget  my  brother's  injurie.'* 
as  soon  as  he  will  forget  my  pard(fn  of  the^." 


CHAPTER  LVII. 
Death  of  Richard  the  Lion-hearted. 


K 


1.  The  remainder  of  Richard's  life  was  passed  in  a  succession  of 
wars  and  truces  with  the  King  of  France.  At  last,  through  the 
mediation  of  the  pojjc,  negotiations  were  commenced  for  a  more 
lasting  peace.  But  these  were  brought  to  an  abrupt  conclusion  by 
the  death  of  Richard. 

2.  The  Viscount  of  Limoges,  a  vassal  of  the  king,  had  found  a 
considerable  treasure  on  his  lands.  Richard  claimed  this,  as  of  his  i 
right  as  sovereign ;  and  on  the  viscount's  refusing  to  give  up  more 
than  a  part,  declared  positively  that  he  would  have  the  whole,  and 
immediately  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of  Chalus,  where  the  treasure 
was  supposed  to  be  lodged. 

3.  The  garrison  offered  to  surrender  the  castle,  and  all  that  was 
in  it,  provided  they  might  march  out  with  their  arms.  Richard 
vindictively  refused  their  offer,  protesting  he  would  take  the  place 
by  force,  and  put  them  all  to  death. 

4.  On  the  28th  of  March,  1199,  as  he  was  taking  a  survey  of  the 
castle,  and  giving  directions  for  the  assault,  ^e  was  wounded  by  an 
arrow  from  the  bow  of  Bertrand  de  Gourdon.  The  wound  appeared 
trifling  at  first,  but  in  a  few  days  the  life  of  the  king  was  despaired 
of.  Before  he  died  the  castle  was  taken,  and  all  the  garrison  were 
instantly  hanged,  excepting  Bertrand,  whom  Richard  ordered  to  be 
brought  into  his  presence.  "  What  harm  have  I  done  to  you,"  said 
the  king  to  him,  "  that  you  should  thus  have  attempted  my  death?" 

5.  "You.  killed  my  father  and  brother  with  your  own  hands," 
replied  "ihe  n:an ;  "and  intended  to  have  killed  me,  and  I  am  ready 
to  suffer  any  torments  you  can  invent,  with  joy,  since  T  have  been 
so  lucky  as  to  kill  one  who  has  brought  so  many  miseries  on 
mankind." 

6.  Richard,  conscious  of  the  truth  of  this  bold  reply,  bore  it  with 
patience,  and  ordered  the  man  to  be  set  at  liberty;  but  this  com- 
mand was  not  obeyed,  and  Bertrand  was  put  to  death  as  soon  as  the 
king  had  expired.    Richard  died  on  the  6th  of  April,  1199,  in  the 

LVII.— 1,  2,  3,  4-.  Relate  the  particulars  of  Richard's  death.  6.  Relate  the  particulai;» 
of  the  interview  between  him  and  his  slayer.  6.  When  did  Richard  die?  How  long  did 
he  live?     How  long  reign?    7.  To  whom  did  he  leave  his  possessions'* 


104 


ABOUT    JOHN,    SURNAMED    LAOKl^AKD. IZUU. 


forty-second  yet^r  ro{t'  cjii^  jige,  and  tenth  of  his  reign,  only  foui 
moiii^^'Of  which  IJajrtitfep"  passed  in  England. 

7.  He  had  no^childr,en,  and  left  all  his  dominions  to  his  brothel 
JofeKi.,*':li4  J^arf '5{t  «on^  tipe  appointed  Arthur  of  Brittany,  the  son 
•  O'l^^iS  iiexfybuttgfef'btothejf,'  Geoffrey,  to  be  his  heir,  but  on  hia 
deathbed  he  altered  his  will,  being  influenced,  as  it  is  supposed,  by 
Eleanor,  who  had  a  great  hatred  to  Constance,  the  mother  of 
Arthur. 

\  w- 


CHAPTER  LVIII. 


Account  of  John,  surnamed  Lackland. — He  takes  his  Nephew  Arthur 
prisoner,  and  causes  him  to  be  murdered. — His  Loss  of  Normandy. 


DEATH    OK    PRINCK   AKTHUB. 


1.  John,  surnamed  Lackland,  because  he  possessed  no  territory 
during  the  lifetime  of  his  father,  was  the  worst  king  and  the  worst 
man  that  ever  wore  the  crown  of  England.  Indeed,  there  are  very 
few  persons,  whose  lives  are  recorded,  who  possessed  fewer  redeem- 
ing qualities  than  King  John.  He  was  perfidious,  cruel,  and  rapa- 
cious, and  had  neither  personal  bravery  nor  mental  ability  to  make 
up  for  his  faults. 

2.  He  had  early  shown  his  incapacity  for  government;  for  hia 
father,  Henry  II.,  intending  that  Ireland  should  be  his  inheritance, 
Bent  him  thither  to  accustom  the  people  to  him.     But  he  insulted 


LYIII.— 1.  What  is  said  of  John?    Why  called  Lackland?    2.  Wliat  instance  had  he 


DEATH   OF    PIIIN(5E   ARTHUR. 1202  105 

the  Irish  chiefs,  ridiculed  their  customd^  r^n<l%liabkfi,  and  ^((hUved 
with  so  much  folly,  that  his  father  cha^ngecl  tis*  purpose. 

3.  Philip  of  France,  who  was  glad  pf 'art, e:^cui^e'f()p  inii'e^eftjri^g  ip, 
the  affairs  of  England,  undertook  the^caAse  Jof>  aii-thW,  ^.^tek  Ji^', 
been  placed  in  his  hands  by  Constance.  But  John  found  means  to 
persuade  Philip  that  it  would  be  more  for  his  advantage  to  aban- 
don Arthur,  who  was  accordingly  given  up  to  John,  and  would 
iiave  been  put  to  death,  had  he  not  found  means  to  escape. 

4.  Three  years  afterwards,  in  1202,  Arthur  married  a  daughter 
of  Philip,  who  then  in  good  earnest  set  about  enforcing  his  right. 
Young  Arthur  broke  into  Poitou  at  the  head  of  a  small  army. 
Passing  near  the  castle  of  Mirabel,  he  heard  that  his  grandmother, 
Eleanor,  his  owui  and  his  mother's  most  determined  enemy,  was  in 
that  place,  and  made  haste  to  lay  siege  to  it. 

5.  He  had  nearly  got  possession  of  the  castle,  when  John,  acting 
with  a  vigor  quite  unusual  to  him,  came  suddenly  to  his  mother's 
rescue,  and  took  the  unfortunate  Arthur  prisoner,  with  his  sister, 
called  the  Damsel  of  Bretagne,  who  was  carried  to  England,  and 
kept  in  perpetual  imprisonment  in  Bristol  Castle. 

6.  Arthur  was  taken  to  the  castle  of  Falaise,  and  of  his  subsequent 
fate  nothing  is  known  with  certainty.  The  most  probable  account  of 
it  is  as  follows :  the  king  first  proposed  to  William  de  la  Bray,  one  of 
his  servants,  to  murder  Arthur,  but  William  replied,  that  he  was  a 
gentleman,  not  a  hangman,  and  he  positively  refused  compliance. 

7.  Another  instrument  of  murder  was  found,  and  was  desi^atched 
to  Falaise ;  but  Herbert  de  Bourg,  the  governor,  desirous  to  save 
the  unhappy  young  prince,  pretended  that  he  would  execute  the 
king's  order,  and  sent  back  the  assassin.  He  placed  the  prince  in 
concealment,  and,  announcing  that  he  was  dead,  had  the  funeral 
service  publicly  performed  for  him. 

8.  But  the  Bretons  were  so  much  exasperated  at  the  supposed 
murder  of  their  prince,  that  Herbert  found  it  necessary  to  inform 
them  of  his  being  alive.  No  sooner  did  John  hear  of  it  than  he 
had  Arthur  removed  to  Eouen,  where  he  himself  resided.  The 
prince  being  brought  into  the  presence  of  his  uncle,  threw  himself 
on  his  knees  before  him,  and  begged  for  mercy ;  but  the  barbarous 
tyrant,  making  no  reply,  stabbed  him  with  his  own  hand. 

9.  All  men  were  struck  with  horror  at  this  inhuman  deed,  and 
John  became  an  object  of  universal  detestation.  The  people  of  Brit- 
tany laid  their  complaints  before  Philip,  as  their  liege  lord,  and 
demanded  justice  for  this  violence  committed  on  one  of  the  chief 
vassals  of  the  crown. 

10.  Philip  received  their  application  with  pleasure,  and  sum- 
moned John  to  stand  a  trial  before  him.  John  did  not  appear, 
and,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  peers  of  France,  he  was  pro- 
nounced guilty  of  murder,  and  all  his  territories  in  France  were 
declared  forfeit  to  his  superior  lord. 

Biiown  of  incapacity  to  govern?  3.  Whose  cause  did  Philip  espouse?  Why  abai.don  it? 
4.  Why  rcsumo  the  support  of  it?  Relate  the  particulars  of  Arthur's  capture  6,  7,  % 
Wiiat  liecame  of  Artliur?  1(».  What  did  Philip  do  v  hen  ho  heard  of  Arthur's  munW-f 
11.  WJiat  hocamf  of  .John's  possessions  in  France? 


106  JOHN   QUARRELS   WITH   THE   POPE. — 1208. 

I'ij.  «^Wlip  prpceyei  %t  once  to  execute  his  sentence.  John  could 
make  'but  little  'op|)dsitloh;  because  his  barons  refused  to  assist  him. 
No^mg.ncl7;  vt^as' Geverefd  /join'^the  crown  of  England,  after  it  had 
'peen/r^  tti^^pdss^s^ipjxqrf  ^the 'descendants  of  Eollo  for  three  hun- 
dred years.  His  mother's  inheritance,  also,  and  nearly  all  the  rest 
of  John's  territories  in  France,  were  yielded  up  to  Philip. 


CHAPTER  LIX. 

John  quarrels  with  the  Pope. — About  the  Jeivs. — John  excommunicated. 
— He  submits  to  degrading  Terms. 

1.  It  would  seem  that  John  had  diflficulties  enough  to  contend 
with  already;  but,  in  1208,  he  must  needs  involve  himself  in  a 
dispute  with  the  pope,  respecting  the  choice  of  an  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury.  The  pope,  Innocent  III.,  insisted  on  the  election  of 
Stephen  Langton,  an  Englishman  of  very  superior  abilities,  but 
John  refused  to  recognize  his  right  of  dictation. 

2.  The  pope  then  laid  the  kingdom  under  an  interdict.  This, 
however,  was  not  much  regarded  by  the  king,  who  employed  him- 
self in  expeditions  against  the  Welsh  and  Irish,  and  in  extorting 
money  from  his  own  subjects  by  many  unjust  and  cruel  methods. 
One  of  his  contrivances  was  to  assemble  all  the  abbots  and  abbesses 
at  London;  and  when  he  had  collected  them  together,  he  kept 
them  there  till  they  had  paid  a  large  sum  of  money. 

3.  But  the  Jews  were  the  special  objects  of  his  cruelty.  Ever 
since  the  taking  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  in  the  year  72  after  Christ, 
the  Jews  have  been  an  outcast,  though  still  a  separate  people. 
About  the  time  of  Henry  II.,  many  of  them  went  over  and  settled 
in  England ;  but  they  were  treated  with  many  indignities,  and  were 
obliged  to  wear  a  square  yellow  cap  to  distinguish  them  from 
Christians. 

4.  As  they  were  cut  off  from  all  public  employments,  they  devoted 
themselves  to  getting  money ;  and  the  taking  of  interest  for  the  loan 
of  money  being  forbidden  to  Christians,  the  Jewish  money-lenders, 
having  all  the  business  to  themselves,  became  very  rich.  In  order 
to  distinguish  their  houses  from  those  of  the  Christians,  they  were 
required  to  build  them  with  the  chimneys  over  the  doors.  Houses 
of  this  description  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  England. 

5.  They  were  exposed  to  many  cruelties  to  extort  from  them 
their  wealth,  as  it  was  considered  no  sin  to  plunder  or  even  murder 
a  Jew,  more  especially  if  the  object  was  to  get  money  for  a  crusade; 
it  being  deemed  that  the  cause  justified  the  crime. 

6.  The  pope,  finding  that  his  interdict  made  no  impression,  now 
resorted  to  the  more  severe  mode  of  bringing  John  to  obedience.    He 

LIX.—  1.  What  new  quarrel  was  John  involved  in  ?  2.  How  did  he  get  money?  3, 4, 
B.  What  of  the  Jews?     6.  What  measure  did  the  pope  adopt,  when  he  found  his  inter- 


COATS   OF   ARMS,   OR   ARMORIAL   BEARINGS. — 1216,        11] 

C?I AFTER  Lkt'*"  •    '•'  -        '  •  - 
Henry  III. —  Coats  of  Arms," or.  ^irrp^o^^'^eHr^riff^.  \  \\  \  ,',\ 

1.  When  King  John  died,  his  son  Henry,  called  Henry  of  Win- 
chester, was  only  eight  years  old.  As  he  grew  up,  he  was  found  to 
be  in  character  the  opposite  of  his  father.  He  was  gentle,  merciful, 
and  humane,  kind  and  affectionate  to  his  family,  and  liberal  to  his 
friends. 

2.  Had  his  abilities  been  equal  to  his  disposition,  he  would  have 
made  a  very  good  king ;  but  the  weakness  of  his  conduct  rendered 
him  contemptible.  His  personal  appearance,  too,  was  exceedingly 
disadvantageous ;  for,  though  he  was  of  a  tolerable  height,  he  had 
no  dignity  in  his  manner ;  his  countenance  was  not  pleasing,  and 
his  left  eyelid  drooped  so  much  as  almost  to  cover  the  eye. 

3.  The  Earl  of  Pembroke,  who  was  a  sagacious  and  good  man, 
was  made  governor  of  the  young  king,  and  protector  of  the  king- 
dom. By  his  wise  and  prudent  conduct,  the  rebel  barons  were 
brought  back  to  their  allegiance  to  the  king,  and  Louis  soon  found 
himself  deserted  by  all  but  his  French  troops. 

4.  These  were  soon  after  defeated  by  the  Earl  of  Pembroke  at 
Lincoln.  In  this  battle,  which  decided  the  fate  of  Louis  in  England, 
only  three  of  the  French  knights  were  killed.  Indeed,  a  knight 
completely  armed  seldom  ran  any  other  risk  than  that  of  being  dis- 
mounted, and  it  could  only  be  by  some  chance  if  he  was  wounded. 

5.  It  is  said  that  Philip,  King  of  France,  in  a  battle  with  the 
Germans,  after  being  knocked  from  his  horse,  was  a  long  time  sur- 
rounded by  the  enemy,  and  received  blows  from  all  kinds  of  weapons 
without  losing  a  drop  of  blood.  It  is  even  said  that  while  he  lay 
upon  the  ground,  a  German  soldier  wanted  to  pierce  his  neck  with 
a  dart,  but  could  not  accomplish  his  object. 

6.  The  reader  may  wonder  how  people  could  know  one  another 
when  they  were  thus  covered  up  in  armor.  Each  knight  orna- 
mented his  helmet,  or  his  shield,  with  some  figure,  such  as  an 
animal,  a  flower,  a  warlike  weapon,  or  any  other  thing  that  pleased 
his  fancy.  It  may  be  suggested  that  it  would  have  been  as  easy 
for  each  one  to  have  written  his  name  upon  his  shield  at  once. 

7.  This  might  have  been  a  good  plan,  if  all  had  been  scholars; 
but  though  eveiy  man  could  distinguish  an  eagle  from  a  lion,  there 
might  not  have  been  one  in  a  thousand  who  could  have  distin- 
guished the  name  of  Henry  from  that  of  Louis. 

8.  Before  the  crusades,  every  knight  adopted  what  crest  on  his 
helmet,  and  device  on  his  shield,  he  liked  best;  but  the  sons  of 
those  who  had  fought  in  the  Holy  Land  had  a  pride  in  adopting 
the  devices  their  fathers  had  borne  there ;  and  thus  coats  of  arms,  as 
they  were  called,  became  hereditary  in  the  families  of  the  crusaders. 

LXI. — 1.  Who  succeeded  John  upon  the  throne?  What  is  said  of  Honry  III.?  3. 
What  of  the  i)rotector?  4.  What  was  the  success  of  the  French  invaders?  What  is  said 
of  defensive  armor?  6.  How  wore  knights  distinguished  from  one  another?  Wliy  nof 
write  the  names  ?     8,  9.  What  of  coats  ©f  arms  ? 


mtfm* 


i»^»""n 


112 


DISTURBED   STATE   OF    ENGLAND. 1223. 


9."Byt'Coats  ^f'ar'mSj'bS^  memorial  bearings,  as  they  are  also  called, 
have  long  ceased  to  Ibe  confijaed  to  the  descendants  of  crusaders ; 
ajjd:\\jhf(t;^s;at'fijfet,  ^n/hondfable  distinction,  is,  at  present,  little 
rtif6rfe  tJiftiT'^rr  «TiraeaniAg  tJrrtalnent. 


— — -^^^'  chIoter" 


LXII. 


/ 


Disturbed  State  of  England  after  the  Death  of  Pembroke. — By  what 
means  the  King  obtained  Money. — Of  Benevolences. 


KING  HENRY  AND  THE  NOBLES. 


1.  After  the  defeat  of  the  army  at  Lincoln,  Louis  was  glad  to 
make  peace,  and  to  withdraw  into  France.  The  Earl  of  Pembroke 
continued  to  govern  the  kingdom  with  honor,  wisdom,  and  success, 
till  1219,  when,  to  the  misfortune  of  England  and  its  king,  he  died. 

2.  In  1223,  when  Henry  was  sixteen  years  old,  he  was  declared 
of  age  to  govern  for  himself.  His  want  of  ability  now  became  ap- 
parent, and  he  was  found  totally  unqualified  for  maintaining  a 
proper  sway  among  the  turbulent  barons. 

3.  Those  who  had  been  intrusted  with  the  keeping  of  the  royal 
castles  refused  to  give  them  up,  and  broke  out  into  open  rebellion 
when  forcible  means  were  used  to  compel  them  to  do  so.  The  king 
would  then  purchase  their  return  to  allegiance  by  concessions. 

4.  But  the  nobles  were  most  highly  oifended  by  the  favor  shown  to 
foreigners  by  Henry.   By  the  advice  of  Peter,  Bishop  of  Winchester, 


LXII.— 1.  Whbn  did  tho    Earl  of  Pembroke   die? 


Wliat  was   the  stHio  of  thr 


OF    BENEVOLENCES. — 1236.  113 

a  native  of  Poictou,  the  king  invited  over  a  great  number  of  the 
people  of  that  province,  and  bestowed  upon  them  the  chief  offices 
of  the  state,  being  persuaded  that  they  were  more  to  be  relied  on 
than  the  English,  and  that  they  would  serve  to  counterbalance  the 
great  power  of  the  barons.  , 

5.  The  resistance  of  the  nobles  proved  vain  ;  their  measures  were 
disconcerted,  and  the  most  violent  among  them  were  obliged  to  flee 
the  kingdom,  and  their  confiscated  estates  were  bestowed  upon  the 
odious  foreigners.  At  length  the  clergy  took  offence  at  the  conduct 
of  the  Bishop  of  Winchester.  The  primate,  as  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  is  called,  formally  demanded  the  dismission  of  all  for- 
eigners, threatening  the  king  with  excommunication  if  he  did  not 
comply  with  the  demand. 

6.  Henry  knew  full  well  that  an  excommunication,  in  the  exist- 
ing state  of  public  feeling,  would  be  very  dangerous  to  him,  and 
was  obliged  to  submit.  The  foreigners  were  banished,  and  natives 
were  appointed  to  office  in  their  stead. 

7.  But  the  English  in  vain  flattered  therhselves  that  they  should 
be  free  from  foreign  influence.  In  1236  the  king  married  Eleanor, 
daughter  of  the  Count  of  Provence,  and  immediately  raised  her  re- 
lations to  the  highest  offices.  Many  young  ladies  also  came  over 
from  Provence,  and  were  married  to  some  of  the  chief  noblemen  in 
England. 

8.  The  king  was  so  profuse  in  his  generosity  to  these  favorites, 
that  his  treasures  were  soon  exhausted,  and  he  was  often  obliged  to 
apply  to  parliament  (as  the  great  council  of  the  nation  began  about 
this  time  to  be  called)  for  a  supply  of  money.  This  body  took 
advantage  of  his  necessity  to  extort  from  him  a  confirmation  of  the 
Magna  Charta,  and  the  grant  of  new  rights. 

9.  To  render  himself  independent  of  them,  Henry  resorted  to 
various  modes  of  procuring  money.  He  would  invite  himself  to  the 
houses  of  his  subjects,  and  always  expected  a  present  at  the  door; 
he  extorted  from  the  Jews,  wherever  he  found  them ;  he  demanded 
benevolences,  or  forced  contributions  from  his  nobility  and  clergy ; 
but  all  these  expedients  proving  insufficient,  he  was  at  last  obliged 
to  sell  his  jewels  and  his  plate. 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

The  King  and  the  Pope  unite  against  the  Churchmen. — Illusiraiive 
Anecdote  of  the  Times. 

1.  The  pope,  profiting  by  the  weakness  of  Henry,  made  great 
encroachments  on  the  privileges  of  the  Church  of  England.     The 

kingdom  after  his  death  ?  4.  W^hat  gave  particular  offence  to  the  nobles  ?  5,  6.  What 
induced  the  king  to  banish  the  foreigners?  7.  Whom  did  the  king  marry?  8.  "What 
is  the  parliament?  What  did  the  parliament  obtain  from  the  king?  9.  What  were 
benevolences  ?  • 

10  «  • 


114 


POWER   OF   THE   SEE    OF    ROME. — 1236. 


clergy  expostulated  in  vain ;  the  king,  hoping  to  derive  some  private 
advantage  therefrom,  supported  the  pope's  legate  in  all  his  measures. 


HENRY    III.   AND  THE  CLERGY. 


2.  They  mutually  supported  one  another  in  their  exactions. 
Whenever  the  king  demanded  money  for  himself,  the  legate  took 
care  to  make  a  demand  also.  At  length  the  prelates,  quite  tired 
of  remonstrating,  resolved  to  meet  and  consider  of  some  remedy  to 
prevent  the  rapacity  of  the  legate. 

3.  They  assembled  accordingly,  but  scarce  had  they  begun  to 
complain  to  one  another  of  the  miseries  they  suffered,  when  the 
legate  entered  the  assembly,  and  made  a  demand  for  more  money ; 
this  they  considered  as  such  an  accumulation  of  impudence,  that 
they  gave  him  a  blunt  refusal. 

4.  An  accident  happened  about  this  time,  which  strikingly  ex- 
hibits the  submission  of  the  people  to  the  papal  power.  Some 
business  took  the  legate  to  Oxford.  He  was  received  and  enter- 
tained there  with  great  magnificence.  As  the  luxury  in  w^hich 
these  Italian  dignitaries  lived  was  great,  several  scholars  of  the 
urdversity,  either  from  curiosity  or  hunger,  entered  the  kitchen, 
while  the  legate's  dinner  was  preparing. 

6.  After  admiring  the  wealth  and  plenty  which  were  lavishly  dis- 
played on  all  sides,  one  of  them,  a  poor  Irish  scholar,  ventured  to  ask 
the  cook  for  a  bit  of  something  to  relieve  his  hunger.  The  cook,  in- 
stead of  giving  the  alms,  threw  a  ladle  of  boiling  water  in  the  face  of 
the  petitioner.  This  action  so  provoked  a  Welsh  student,  who  was 
present,  that  he  drew  his  bow  and  shot  the  cook  dead  upon  the  spot. 


LXIII. — 1.  What  of  the  pope's  conduct?  2.  In  what  did  the  pope  and  Henry  agree? 
3.  What  did  .the  clergy  do  ?  4,  5,  6,  7.  Relate  the  anecdote  about  the  legate's  seiTanI 
mid  the  scholar. 


ABOUT   SIMON   DE   MONTFORT.  115 

6.  The  legate,  hearing  the  tumult,  fled  in  alarm  to  the  tower  of 
Che  church  and  remained  there  till  evening.  He  then  ventured  to 
come  forth,  and  hastening  to  the  king,  complained  of  this  killing 
of  his  servant.  The  king  fell  into  a  great  passion,  and  offered  to 
put  all  the  offenders  to  death. 

7.  The  legate  at  first  insisted  on  taking  extreme  vengeance,  but 
was  at  length  appeased  by  proper  submission  from  the  university ; 
all  the  scholars  of  that  college  which  had  offended  were  ordered  to 
be  stripped  of  their  gowns,  and  to  walk  barefoot,  with  haltere  about 
their  necks,  to  the  legate's  house,  and  humbly  ask  for  pardon. 


K^ 


CHAPTER    LXIV. 

About  Simon  de  Montfort. — The  Mad  Parliament. 

1.  Among  the  barons  of  England  there  was  one  named  Simon  de 
Montfort.  He  was  a  son  of  that  de  Montfort  who  made  himself  so 
famous  in  France  in  the  war  against  the  Albigenses,  a  sect  of  Chris- 
tians, against  whom  the  pope  got  up  a  crusade. 

2.  This.  Simon  de  Montfort  had  once  been  a  great  favorite  with 
Henry,  who  had  loaded  him  with  riches  and  honors.  He  had  raised 
him  to  the  dignity  of  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  had  consented  to  his 
marriage  with  his  own  sister,  Eleanor,  a  match  which  gave  great 
offence  to  her  other  brother,  Richard,  and  to  the  English  barons. 

3.  Although  he  owed  the  great  wealth  which  gave  him  the  power 
to  injure,  to  the  liberality  of  Henry,  he  was  the  most  active  in  ex- 
citing opposition  to  the  king.  Although  he  was  himself  a  foreigner, 
no  one  was  so  loud  as  he  in  declaiming  against  the  indignity  of  sub- 
mitting to  the  rule  of  foreigners. 

4.  He  left  no  means  untried  to  gain  the  favor  of  all  classes  of 
society.  His  machinations  at  length  proved  successful.  The  barons 
resolved  to  take  the  government  into  their  own  hands.  The  inten- 
tion of  resisting  the  king's  authority  first  showed  itself  at  the  parlia- 
ment house,  where  the  barons  appeared  clad  in  complete  armor, 
with  their  swords  by  their  sides. 

5.  The  king  at  his  entry  was  struck  with  this  unusual  appear- - 
ance,  and  anxiously  inquired  what  was  their  purpose,  and  whether 
they  intended  to  make  him  a  prisoner.  To  this  they  submissively 
replied,  that  he  was  not  their  prisoner,  but  their  sovereign ;  that 
they  intended  to  grant  him  large  supplies,  but  they  must  have  some 
return  for  them ; 

6.  That  he  had  frequently  made  submissions  to  this  parliament, 
and  promised  to  observe  the  great  charter,  but  had  still  allowed  him- 
self to  be  led  into  the  commission  of  the  same  errors,  and  therefore 
he  must  now  be  subjected  to  more  strict  regulations,  and  delegate 

LXIV.— 1.  Who  was  SinKm  de  Montfort?  2,3.  Wliat  is  said  of  him?  4.  What  did 
hp  excite  the  nobles  to  do?     5,  C.  With  what  success?    1,  When  did  tlio  new  parlia- 


116  ABOUT    PRINCE   EDWARD. 1258 

sufficient  authority  to  those  who  were  willing  to  redress  the  public 
grievances. 

7.  Henry  agreed  to  the  demand,  and  promised  to  assemble  a  par- 
liament at  Oxford,  to  form  a  plan  for  the  new  government.  Thia 
parliament,  which  was  afterwards  called  the  Mad  Parliament^  on 
account  of  the  confusion  which  resulted  from  its  measures,  met  on 
the  11th  of  June,  1258. 

8.  Twenty-four  barons  were  chosen  by  the  parliament,  at  the  head 
of  whom  was  de  Montfort,  and  to  these  authority  was  given  to  reform 
all  abuses.  These  barons,  under  this  pretext,  lorded  it  over  the  king, 
and  assumed  a  right  to  govern  the  kingdom.  But  the  people  scarcely 
acknowledging  such  rulers,  or  not  knowing  whom  to  obey,  paid  no 
respect  to  the  laws,  and  it  seemed  as  if  all  government  were  dissolved. 


4 


CHAPTEE    LXV.  •/ 

Character  and  Conduct  of  Prince  Edward. — Battle  of  Lewes. — The 

''  Mise"  of  Leives. 

1.  The  barons  had  now  enjoyed  the  sovereign  power  for  three 
years ;  and  had  employed  it,  not  for  the  reformation  of  abuses,  which 
was  the  pretence  upon  which  they  obtained  it,  but  for  the  aggran- 
dizement of  themselves  and  their  families.  They  abused  their 
authority  so  much  that  all  orders  of  men  became  dissatisfied. 

2.  Prince  Edward,  who  had  already  given  evidence  of  his  ability' 
and  courage,  was  loudly  called  upon  to  stand  forward  and  assert  his 
own  and  his  father's  rights.  But  he,  as  well  as  his  father,  had  taken 
an  oath  to  obey  these  self-constituted  rulers,  and,  although  absolved 
by  the  pope  from  his  oath,  he  declared  that  he  would  abide  by  what 
he  had  sworn  to. 

3.  This  fidelity  gained  him  the  confidence  of  all  parties,  and  en- 
abled him  afterwards  to  recover  the  royal  authority  for  his  father, 
and  to  perform  many  great  actions.  The  king,  however,  as  soon  as 
he  had  received  the  absolution,  issued  a  proclamation,  declaring 
that  he  had  resumed  his  authority,  and  was  resolved  to  protect  his 
subjects  against  the  tyranny  of  the  barons. 

4.  The  next  three  years  were  passed  in  fruitless  negotiations  be- 
tween the  king  and  them.  Treaties  were  made,  which  were  broken 
as  soon  as  ratified.  Louis  IX.,  King  of  France,  who  well  merits  his 
title  of  Saint,  for  he  was  one  of  the  most  virtuous,  as  well  as  one  of 
the  most  able  men  who  ever  lived,  pursued  a  very  different  policy 
from  that  which  had  actuated  his  grandfather  Philip. 

5.  He  tried  to  make  peace  between  Henry  and  his  barons.  But 
Henry  was  too  weak,  and  de  Montfort  was  too  ambitious,  and  all 

ment  meet?    What  is  it  called?    8.  What  did  the  parliament  do?    What  was  the  con 
Bequeiice  of  their  acts  ? 

LXV. — 1.  To  what  purpose  did  the  barons  employ  their  povrer?  2,  3.  What  of  Prince 
Edward?    What  did  the  king  do?    4,  5.  What  of  Louis  IX.?     6,  7.  What  was  the  resuli 


CHANGE   IN   THE   CONSTITUTION   OF   PARLIAMENT. — 1264.    117 

Louis'  endeavors  were  unavailing.     At  length  both  parties  had  re- 
course to  arms.     The  hostile  forces  met  at  Lewes,  May  14th,  1264. 

6.  The  royal  troops  were  formed  in  three  divisions,  commanded 
respectively  by  Henry,  his  brother  Richard,  and  Prince  Edward. 
The  prince  attacked  the  body  of  the  rebels  opposed  to  him,  with 
such  fury,  that  he  drove  them  before  him,  and  never  stopped  from 
the  pursuit  till  he  was  four  miles  from  the  field  of  battle. 

7.  On  his  return  from  this  pursuit,  he  found  that  the  other  two 
divisions  of  the  royal  army  had  been  defeated,  and  that  his  father 
and  uncle  were  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  He  en- 
deavored in  vain  to  prevail  on  his  followers  to  renew  the  battle, 
but  was  at  length  obliged  to  submit  to  such  terms  as  Leicester 
would  grant  him. 

8.  It  was  agreed  that  Edward  and  his  cousin  Henry  should  sur- 
render themselves  as  prisoners,  in  lieu  of  their  respective  fathers, 
who,  with  all  the  other  prisoners  on  both  sides,  were  to  be  released. 
There  were  other  conditions  in  this  agreement,  which  is  called  the 
Mise  of  Lewes,  from  an  old  French  word  having  that  meaning. 

9.  All  the  nobility  of  England  who  valued  themselves  upon  their 
Norman  descent,  and  who  disdained  the  language  of  their  native 
country,  made  familiar  use  of  the  French  tongue  until  this  period, 
and  for  some  time  after. 


CHAPTER  LXVI. 

4  Change  made  in  the  Constitution  of  Parliament. — Prince  Edward 
makes  his  Escape  from  Imprisonment. — The  Barons  subdued. 

1.  Leicester,  having  got  the  whole  royal  family  into  his  power, 
paid  no  regard  to  the  Mise  of  Lewes.  He  still  detained  the  king  a 
prisoner,  and  used  his  name  for  his  own  lofty  purposes.  He  even 
formed  plans  of  raising  himself  to  the  throne.  But  his  ambition 
caused  his  downfall.  The  Earl  of  Gloucester,  his  former  associate, 
and  now  his  rival,  secretly  planned  his  ruin. 

2.  Perceiving  himself  to  be  an  object  of  suspicion  to  the  nobles, 
Leicester  sought  to  increase  and  to  turn  to  advantage  his  popularity 
with  the  other  classes.  He  summoned  a  parliament,  and,  that  he 
might  control  its  measures,  he  made  a  change  in  its  constitution. 
In  addition  to  the  noblemen  who  attended  in  their  own  right,  as 
the  immediate  servants  of  the  crown,  he  ordered  each  county  to 
send  two  discreet  knights. 

3.  Every  city  and  borough,  or  town,  was  also  ordered  to  send  two 
of  its  wisest  citizens,  and  burgesses,  as  the  inhabitants  of  a  borough 
were  called.    This  is  the  first  mention  made  in  history  of  the  com- 

of  the  battle  between  the  king  and  the  nobles?    8.  What  is  the  treaty  cal'M?    9.  What 
of  the  language  in  use? 

LXVI.— 1.  What  led  to  Leicester's  ruin?  2.  How  did  he  attempt  to  maintain  hla 
power?     What  changes  did  he  make  in  the  constitution  of  the  parliament  ?    4.  Of  what 


118      PRINCE    EDWARD    ESCAPES    FROM    IMPRISONMENT. 

mons  being  represented  in  parliament.    Hitherto  the  prelates  and 
barons  only  are  mentioned  as  the  members. 


PKINCE  KDWAKD  SAVING  HIS  FATHER. 

4.  At  first  the  nobles  and  representatives  of  the  counties  and 
towns  assembled  in  one  house ;  but  afterwards  they  divided  t  lem- 
selves  into  two;  and  hence  arose  the  House  of  Lords  and  the 
House  of  Commons ;  the  one  composed  of  noblemen  who  attcj  id  in 
right  of  birth,  or  creation  by  the  king,  and  the  other  of  gentljmen 
who  are  chosen  by  the  people. 

5.  This  parliament  met  the  20th  of  January,  1265.  The  most 
powerful  of  the  nobles,  seeing  the  use  which  Leicester  intended 
to  make  of  this  new  engine,  withdrew  themselves  from  London. 
Amongst  others,  the  Earl  of  Gloucester,  whose  power  and  influence 
had  greatly  contributed  to  the  original  success  of  the  barons,  re- 
tired to  his  castle,  and  put  it  in  a  state  of  defence. 

6.  He  then  formed  a  plan  to  get  Prince  Edward  out  of  Leicester's 
hands,  which  he  contrived  to  communicate  to  the  prince,  and  sent 
him  a  horse  of  extraordinary  swiftness.  The  prince,  according  to 
Gloucester's  plan,  pretended  to  be  very  ill,  and,  in  a  few  days,  ap- 
pearing a  little  better,  he  obtained  Leicester's  permission  to  ride 
abroad  for  the  benefit  of  his  health. 

7.  Proceeding  slowly,  as  if  weak  and  ill,  he,  after  some  little  time 
persuaded  the  gentlemen  who  were  his  guards  to-ride  races  with  one 
another.     When  he  thought  that  their  horses  were  sufiiciently  tired 

does  the  parliament  consist?     5.  How  did  the  nobles  defeat  Leicester's  project?    6,7 


PRINCE   EDWARD   GOES   ON    A   CRUSADE.  118 

with  this  exercise,  he  raised  himself  erect  in  his  saddle,  and  telling 
his  guards  "  he  had  long  enough  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  their  com- 
pany, and  that  he  now  bade  them  adieu,"  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse, 
and  was  soon  beyond  the  reach  of  pursuit. 

8.  As  soon  as  his  escape  was  known,  the  loyal  barons  flocked  to 
him,  and  he  was  thus  at  the  head  of  a  numerous  army.  Leicester 
obliged  the  old  king  to  issue  a  proclamation,  declaring  the  prince  a 
traitor.  He  also  sent  for  his  eldest  son,  Simon,  from  London,  who 
accordingly  set  out  to  join  him  with  a  great  reinforcement. 

9.  But  Prince  Edward  met  and  defeated  him  at  Kenilworth ;  and 
before  Leicester  could  hear  of  his  son's  overthrow,  Edward's  army 
appeared  in  sight,  bearing  in  front  the  banners  taken  from  young 
Simon.  This  led  the  earl  at  first  to  suppose  that  the  reinforcement 
he  was  expecting  had  arrived. 

10.  But  when  the  prince  advanced  near  enough  for  him  to  find 
out  his  mistake,  he  exclaimed,  "  Now  God  have  mercy  on  our  souls^ 
for  our  bodies  are  Prince  Edward's !"  The  battle  soon  began,  and 
poor  King  Henry  was  placed  by  Leicester  in  the  front  of  his  army. 
He  received  a  wound,  and  was  near  being  killed,  but  crying  out, 
"  I  am  Henry  of  Winchester,  your  king,  don't  kill  me,"  he  was  led 
to  his  son,  who  put  him  in  a  place  of  safety. 

11.  The  victory  of  the  prince  was  complete.  Leicester  was 
killed,  and  the  confederacy  of  the  barons  was  broken  up.  This 
important  battle  was  fought  at  Evesham,  May  4th,  1265.  One 
powerful  baron,  named  Adam  Gordon,  still  held  out  against  the 
king,  and  the  prince  was  obliged  to  lead  an  army  against  him. 

12.  He  found  the  rebels  in  a  fortified  camp,  which  he  at  once 
attacked.  In  the  ardor  of  the  battle,  Edward  leaped  over  the 
trench,  and  encountered  Gordon  in  single  combat;  after  a  sharp 
contest,  the  latter  fell  from  his  horse,  but  the  prince  generously 
gave  him.  his  life,  and  was  ever  after  faithfully  served  by  him. 


/ 


CHAPTER  LXVII. 


Prince  Edward  goes  on  a  Crusade. — Death  of  Henry  HI. — About 
Paintings,  and  Illuminated  Manuscripts. 

1.  As  there  was  no  more  fighting  to  be  done  at  home.  Prince 
Edward,  who  could  not  bear  to  be  idle,  set  out  on  a  crusade  against 
the  Infidels.  He  embarked  at  Portsmouth,  May  4th,  1270,  meaning 
to  jcfin  St.  Louis  at  Tunis.  On  his  arrival  there,  he  found  that  Louis 
had  died  of  the  plague. 

2.  Not  discouraged  by  this  event,  Edward  resolved  still  to  pursue 
the  enterprise  with  his  own  little  army.    Proceeding  to  the  Holj 

How  did  Edward  effect  bis  escape?     8.  What  did  the  king  do  ?     10,  11.  What  of  the  battle 
of  Evesham?    When  and  between  whom  was  it  fought?    12.  What  auecdoto  of  Princj" 
Edward's  gallantry  ? 
LXVII.— 1,  When  did  Edward  leave   England  to  fight  the  Infidels?    2.  What  was  hi- 


120 


DEATH    OF    HENRY    III. 


Land,  he  distinguished  himself  by  many  acts  of  valor ;  and  struct 
such  terror  into  the  Saracens  that  they  employed  an  assassin  to 
murder  him. 


PRINCE  EBWAKD  AND  THE  ASSASSIN. 

3.  This  man,  under  pretence  of  having  a  secret  message,  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  prince's. chamber,  and  then  attempted  to  kill  him  with 


ELEANOR  SUCKING  OUT  THE, POISON. 

a  poisoned  dagger.     Edward  wrenched  the  weapon  from  the  man's 
hand,  but  in  the  scuffle  he  received  a  wound  in  the  arm.     This  might 


success?    3.  Relate  the  incidents  of  the  attack  on  his  life.    4.  What  was  the  state  of 


ARCHITECTURE   OF   THE    AGE    OF    HENRY    III. 1272.      12 J 

have  proved  fatal,  had  not  his  affectionate  wife,  Eleanor,  who  had 
accompanied  him  to  Palestine,  sucked  the  poison  from  the  wound. 

4.  Whilst  the  prince  was  thus  perilling  his  life  in  foreign  lands, 
affairs  were  going  on  very  badly  at  home.  King  Henry  had  become 
old  and  feeble ;  his  government,  never  much  respected,  was  now 
totally  despised,  and  riots,  robberies,  and  excesses  of  all  kinds  were 
perpetually  committed. 

5.  At  last  the  king,  worn  out  by  infirmities,  died  on  the  16th  of 
November,  1272,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  fifty- 
seventh  of  his  reign,  the  longest  reign  in  the  English  annals,  except 
that  of  George  III.,  and  one  of  the  most  inglorious. 

6.  Although  Henry  was  so  deficient  in  the  abilities  necessary  for 
a  ruler,  he  was  not  altogether  wanting  in  sense.  He  was  a  pro- 
moter of  the  fine  arts,  and  the  art  of  painting  improved  greatly 
during  his  reign.  It  became  the  fashion  to  adorn  the  walls  of 
rooms  and  churches  with  historical  pictures. 

7.  Antiquaries  are  very  much  puzzled  to  know  what  colors  were 
ased  in  these  large  paintings.  There  is  reason  to  believe  they  were 
not  merely  water  colors,  and  yet  it  is  commonly  supposed  that  the 
art  of  painting  in  oils  is  of  much  later  discovery. 

8.  The  only  pictures  which  we  can  rely  upon,  of  this  age,  are 
those  we  find  in  Missals,  or  Eoman  Catholic  Prayer  Books.  These 
are  often  ornamented,  or,  as  it  is  called,  illuminated,  with  paintings, 
beautiful  from  the  brightness  of  the  gold  and  colors,  and  curious 
from  the  exceeding  delicacy  of  the  execution.  Many  of  these 
books  are  still  in  excellent  preservation. 


CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

Architecture  of  the  Age  of  Henry  III. —  Trade  and  the  Merchants  of 
England  at  the  same  Period. 

1.  A  CHANGE  was^also  made  in  the  style  of  architecture,  and 
some  of«the  finest  Gothic  buildings  of  England  were  built  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  III.  The  heavy  Saxon  was  now  succeeded  by  one 
of  much  greater  elegance,  and  richness  of  ornament.  The  pillars, 
instead  of  heavy  thick  shafts,  had  one  small  shaft  in  the  centre, 
surrounded  by  many  slender  ones^  so  as  to  form  altogether  one 
bulky  pillar  composed  of  many  parts. 

2.  The  carved  work  of  all  kinds  was  more  elaborate,  and  the  out- 
sides  of  the  churches  were  adorned  with  pinnacles,  and  with  loftier 
steeples  than  formerly.  Such  very  curious  and  complicated  build- 
ings could  not  be  executed  by  common  workmen.  A  number  of 
the  best  artificers,  therefore,  incorporated  themselves  into  com- 
panies, and  went  about  from  place  to  place,  as  they  were  required. 

England  during  his  absence?     5.  When  did  Henry  die?     What  was  hia  age?     How  long 
dldhe  reign  ?     6.  What  is  said  of  the  art  of  painting?    7.  What  of  the  colors  ?    8.  Wliut 
is  said  of  the  Missals? 
LXVIII.— 1.  What  change  had  taken  place  in  tlie  architecture?    3.  What  were  the 

11 


122  STATE    OF    LEARNING. 1272. 

3.  They  lived  in  temporary  huts,  near  the  great  buildings  they 
were  employed  upon,  and  called  themselves  free  masons ;  and  this 
is  the  origin  of  the  society  oifree  masons,  which  has  been  so  greatly 
extended. 

4.  Although  so  much  had  been  done  to  secure  the  liberties  of  the 
nobles,  little  change  had  taken  place  in  the  condition  of  the  common 
people.  Slaves  were  bought  and  sold  at  the  fairs,  and  a  man  would 
bring  a  less  price  than  a  horse.  These  fairs  were  markets,  held  at 
stated  periods,  for  the  sale  of  various  articles  of  merchandise ;  for 
(here  were  no  regular  shops,  and  the  merchants  and  traders  travelled 
from  place  to  place,  attending  the  fairs  to  dispose  of  their  goods. 

5.  The  foreign  trade  of  England  at  this  time  was  chiefly  carried 
on  by  Germans.  The  principal  commodities  were  wool,  lead,  and 
tin.  These  were  brought  to  certain  towns  in  different  parts,  called 
the  staple  towns,  where  the  collectors  of  the  king's  customs  were 
appointed  to  receive  the  duty. 

6.  The  goods  were  then  sold  to  the  German  traders,  who  were 
called  the  merchants  of  the  staple;  and  these  people  exported  them 
abroad,  and  imported  gold,  silver,  and  various  goods  in  return. 
The  Lombards,  also,  were  another  set  of  foreigners  who  settled  in 
England.     Their  business  was  chiefly  to  lend  money  on  interest. 

7.  The  native  merchants  made  a  serious  remonstrance  to  Edward, 
after  he  became  king,  begging  that  the  ^^ merchant  strangers"  might 
be  sent  out  of  the  kingdom ;  but  the  answer  they  received  from  him 
was,  "  I  am  ol'  opinion  that  merchant  strangers  are  useful  to  the 
great  men  of  the  kingdom,  and  therefore  I  will  not  expel  them." 
In  fact,  they  not  only  imported  silks,  wine,  spices,  and  other  luxu- 
ries, used  only  by  the  nobles,  but  also  lent  them  money. 


CHAPTEE  LXIX. 

Of  the  state  of  Learning  in  the  time  of  Henry  III, — Friar  Bacon. — 
Judicial  Astrology. — Trials  by  Combat, 

1,  Although  four  of  the  present  colleges  at  Oxford  were  founded 
\i\  the  reign  of  Henry  III.,  yet  learning  was  still  at  a  very  low  ebb. 
There  were  a  great  number  of  students,  but  they  learned  little  except 
bad  Latin,  and  worse  logic.  They  disputed  without  end  and  without 
meaning  about  the  plainest  truths.  These  frivolous  contests  were 
conducted  with  so  much  eagerness,  that  from  angry  words  the  dis- 
putants sometimes  proceeded  to  blows. 

2.  But  there  was  one  person  of  this  age  who  is  distinguished  for 
more  useful  inventions  than  any  other  man  who  ever  lived.  This  Avas 
Roger  Bacon,  a  monk  of  Oxford,  and  the  most  learned  man  of  his 
time.     He  applied  his  learning  to  the  discovery  of  useful  knowledge. 

free  masons?     4.  What  is  said  of  the  condition  of  the  people?     5.  IIow  was  trade  carried 
on?     6.  By  whom  was  the  foreign  trade  carried  on  ?     In  wliat  manner?     Wliat  were  the 
principal  commodities?     7.  What  did  the  native  merchant.s  do  to  rid  themseh/«  of  the 
foreigners?     What  was  the  king's  answer  to  their  application ? 
LXIX. — 1.  What  is  said  of  the  state  of  learning?     What  was  taught?     '1.  WJmt  in 


FRIAR   BACON. — JUDICIAL   ASTROLOGY. — 1272. 


123 


3.  He  invented  telescopes,  reading-glasses,  microscopes,  and  many 
other  astronomical  and  mathematical  instruments.  He  discovered 
gunpowder,  but  he  considered  it  as  an  object  of  mere  curiosity,  and 
not  applicable  to  any  useful  purpose.  The  same  discovery  was  after- 
wards made  by  Swartz,  a  German  monk,  about  the  year  1340,  and, 
as  he  was  the  first  who  applied  it  to  its  present  uses,  he  has  the 
credit,  and  perhaps  deservedly,  of  being  the  original  inventor. 


FRIAR  BACON. 


4.  Friar  Bacon,  as  he  is  commonly  called,  also  wrote  several 
books ;  and  made  a  map,  a  thing  which  excited  great  admiration. 
This  was  not  a  map  of  England,  as  we  might  suppose,  but  of  Tar- 
tary ;  and  was  formed  from  the  descriptions  he  obtained  from  some 
travellers,  who  had  been  there. 

5.  In  short,  his  genius  soared  so  far  above  all  his  contemporaries, 
that  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  magician,  and  thrown  into  prison, 
where  he  was  kept  many  years.  He  at  length  returned  to  Oxford, 
and  died  there,  a  very  old  man,  in  1292. 

6.  At  a  period  a  little  earlier  than  this,  Judicial  astrology,  or  the 
science  of  the  stars,  was  the  favorite  study.  The  astrologers  pre- 
tended to  foretell  events  by  observing  the  heavenly  bodies.  There 
was  hardly  a  prince,  or  even  a  nobleman,  in  Europe,  who  did  not 
keep  one  in  his  family, 

7.  The  most  famous  of  the  astrologers  published  a  kind  of  alma- 
nac every  year,  with  a  variety  of  predictions  concerning  the  weather 


said  of  Roger  Bacon?  What;  were  soifle  of  liis  discovorios ?  Who  has  the  credit  of 
inTenting  gunpowder?  Why?  5.  What  misfortunes  did  Bacon's  learning  bring  upon 
him?     When  did  he  die?     6.  What  is  said  of  judicial  astrology  ?     7.  What  did  the  most 


V 


124  EDWARD    I. — 1272. 

as  well  as  the  public  events  that  were  to  take  place.  Their  predic- 
tions were  generally  given  in  very  general  and  arti  al  terms.  By 
departing  from  this  prudent  conduct,  they  brought  themselves  into 
temporary  disrepute. 

8.  For,  in  the  beginning  of  1186,  all  the  great  Christian  astrologers 
agreed  in  declaring,  that  from  some  extraordinary  positions  of  the 
planets,  wliich  had  never  happened  before  and  would  never  happen 
again,  there  would  arise  on  Tuesday,  the  16th  of  September,  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  a  most  dreadful  storm,  which  would 
sweep  away  great  towns  and  cities. 

9.  They  further  predicted  that  this  storm  would  be  followed  by  a 
destructive  pestilence,  bloody  wars,  and  all  the  plagues  that  ever 
afflicted  miserable  mortals.  This  direful  prophecy  spread  terror 
and  consternation  over  Europe,  though  it  was  contradicted  by  the 
Arabian  astrologers,  who  said  there  would  only  be  a  few  shipwrecks, 
and  a  little  failure  in  the  harvest. 

10.  When  the  awful  day  drew  near,  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury commanded  a  solemn  fast  of  three  days  to  be  observed.  But, 
to  the  utter  confusion  of  the  poor  astrologers,  the  16th  of  September 
was  uncommonly  calm  and  pleasant,  the  whole  season  remarkably 
mild  and  healthy,  "  and  there  were  no  storms  that  year,"  says  a 
pleasant  writer,  "  but  what  the  archbishop  raised  in  the  church  by 
his  own  turbulence." 

11.  We  will  mention  one  other  incident  of  the  reign  of  Henry 
HI.,  illustrative  of  the  manners  of  the  age — the  trial  by  ordeal.  The 
Normans,  although  they  had  hitherto  retained  this  custom  of  the 
Saxons,  had  a  method  of  their  own  of  referring  the  decision  of  ques- 
tions to  the  Judgment  of  God. 

12.  This  was  by  the  trial  by  combat.  The  parties  to  a  lawsuit, 
instead  of  battling  in  words,  fought  it  out  with  swords,  and  he  who 
came  oft"  best  in  the  contest,  gained  his  cause.  Even  abstract  ques- 
tions of  law  were  referred  to  the  same  decision.  A  champion  was 
selecte'd  to  maintain  each  side  of  the  question,  and  the  decision  was 
given  in  accordance  with  the  result  of  the  combat. 


+ 


CHAPTEE  LXX. 


Edward  I.,  surnamed  Long-Shanks. — Tournaments. —  The  little  Battle 

of  Chalons. 

1.  We  have  already  seen  enough  of  Edward  I.  to  know  that  he 
proved  a  king  of  a  very  different  character  from  his  father.  In  his 
person  he  was  unusually  tall,  and  his  legs  being  somewhat  out  of 
proportion,  he  had  the  surname  of  Long-Shanks  given  to  him. 

famous  astrologers  do  each  year?  8,  9, 10.  Relate  the  incident  which  brought  tbem  into 
disrepute.  11.  What  custom  was  abolished  in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.?  12.  What  ii 
said  of  trial*-  by  combat  ? 

LXX. — 1.   Wbat  was   Edward  I.  surnamed?     Why?     Describe  his  personal  appear 


TOUKNAMENTS. — 1272.  125 

2.  He  had  a  fine  open  forehead,  and  regular  features ;  his  haii 
and  complexion  were  fair  in  his  youth,  but  became  darker  in  his 
middle  age.  His  air  and  carriage  were  very  commanding ;  he  de- 
lighted in  all  martial  and  manly  exercises,  and  was  an  excellent 
rider. 

3.  He  had  great  courage  and  military  skill,  and  his  understand- 
ing was  of  a  very  superior  order.  He  was  an  excellent  son,  husband, 
and  father ;  and  yet  this  man,  with  all  his  fine  qualities,  was  the 
occasion  of  infinite  misery  to  many  thousands  of  people.  The  desire 
of  possessing  himself  of  the  whole  island  of  Great  Britain  had  so 
beset  his  mind,  that  every  other  consideration  gave  way  to  it. 

4.  Edward  did  not  remain  long  in  the  Holy  Land  after  the  attempt 
on  his  life  which  we  have  mentioned.  He  had  reached  Sicily,  on 
his  way  home,  when  he  heard  the  news  of  his  father's  death.  He 
set  out  at  once  for  England.  As  he  passed  through  Burgundy,  he 
received  an  invitation  from  the  duke  of  that  country  to  a  tourna- 
ment which  he  was  then  preparing. 

5.  Edward  possessed  too  much  of  the  spirit  of  a  knight  to  decline 
any  opportunity  of  gaining  honor,  and  lie  was  glad  to  display  his 
skill  in  these  martial  exercises  to  the  foreign  nobles. 

6.  A  tournament  was  a  great  entertainment  given  by  some  king, 
or  rich  prince,  at  which  a  mock  combat  was  held,  for  the  knights  to 
display  their  skill  in  the  use  of  arms.  When  a  prince  had  resolved 
to  hold  a  tournament,  he  sent  a  messenger,  called  a  herald,  to  the 
neighboring  courts  and  countries  to  publish  his  design,  and  to  invite 
all  brave  and  loyal  knights  to  honor  the  intended  solemnity  with 
their  presence. 

7.  This  invitation  was  accepted  with  the  greatest  joy,  and  a  vast 
number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  commonly  assembled.  All  the 
knights  who  proposed  to  enter  the  lists,  that  is,  to  take  part  in  the 
exercises,  hung  up  their  shields,  each  of  which,  as  we  before  stated, 
bore  the  particular  device  of  the  knightly  owner,  on  the  walls  of  a 
neighboring  monastery,  where  they  were  viewed  by  all. 

8.  If  a  lady  touched  one  of  the  shields,  it  was  considered  as  an 
accusation  against  its  owner,  who  was  immediately  brought  before 
the  judges  of  the  tournament — who  were  generally  some  old  knights 
whose  fighting  days  were  past — tried  with  great  solemnity,  and  if 
found  guilty  of  defaming  a  lady,  or  of  having  done  anything  unbe- 
coming a  true  and  courteous  knight,  he  was  degraded  and  expelled 
the  assembly  with  every  mark  of  infamy. 

9.  The  lists,  as  the  space  enclosed  for  the  combat  was  called,  were 
surrounded  with  lofty  towers,  and  scaffolds  of  wood,  in  which  the 
kings  and  queens,  princes  and  princesses,  lords,  ladies,  and  knights, 
with  the  judges,  marshals  heralds,  and  minstrels,  were  seated  in 
their  proper  places,  all  arrayed  in  their  richest  dresses. 

10.  The  combatants,  nobly  mounted  and  completely  armed,  were 
conducted  into  the  lists  by  the  respective  ladies  in  whose  honor  they 

ance  3.  What  of  his  character?  4.  Where  did  he  hear  of  his  father's  death  ?  5.  What 
dehiyed  him  on  his  way  home?  6.  What  was  a  tournaiDcnt?  How  was  the  intention 
to  hold  one  announced?  7.  Wliat  did  the  liniglits  do  wlio  proposed  to  take  part?  8. 
What  followed  if  a  lady  touched  the  shield  of  any  knight?    9.  What  were  the  lists?    10. 

n  * 


J  26  Edward's  arrival  in  England. — 1274. 

were  to  fight,  with  bands  of  music,  and  amidst  the  shouts  of  the 
numerous  spectators.  In  these  exercises,  representations  were  given 
of  all  the  different  feats  of  actual  war,  from  a  single  combat  to  a 
general  action,  with  all  the  different  kinds  of  arms,  as  spears, 
Bwords,  battle-axes,  and  daggers. 

11.  At  the  conclusion  of  every  day's  entertainment,  the  judges 
declared  the  victors,  and  the  prizes  were  presented  to  the  happy 
knights  by  the  noblest  or  most  beautiful  lady  present.  The  victors 
were  then  conducted  in  triumph  to  the  palace;  their  armor  was 
taken  off  by  the  ladies  of  the  court ;  they  were  dressed  in  the  richest 
robes,  seated  at  the  table  of  the  sovereign,  and  treated  with  every 
possible  mark  of  distinction. 

12.  These  tournaments  were  considered  merely  as  friendly  trials 
of  skill.  But  the  lives  of  many  brave  champions  were  lost  in  them. 
Sometimes  the  passions  of  the  combatants  became  excited,  and  the 
mock  combat  gave  occasion  to  one  of  a  more  serious  character. 

13.  This  was  the  case  at  the  very  tournament  of  Chalons,  to 
which  Edward  had  just  accepted  an  invitation.  He  and  his  com- 
panions were  so  successful,  that  the  French  knights,  provoked  at 
their  superiority,  made  a  serious  attack  upon  them,  which  was  re- 
pulsed, and  so  much  blood  was  idly  shed  in  the  quarrel,  that  it  has 
received  the  name  of  the  little  Battle  of  Chalons. 


CHAPTEE    LXXI. 

Edward  after  his  return  to  England. — Reply  of  Earl  Warrenne  to  an 
Inquiry  of  the  King. — Conquest  of  Wales. — Massacre  of  the  Welsh 
Bards. 

1.  Edward  did  not  arrive  in  England  till  May,  1274.  His  first 
business  was  to  restore  order  in  the  kingdom,  and  to  put  a  stop  to 
the  robberies  and  murders  which  were  being  constantly  committed 
in  all  parts.  During  the  reigns  of  the  late  weak  monarchs,  great 
encroachments  had  been  made  upon  the  royal  estates  by  the  nobles. 

2.  Edward  therefore  appointed  commissioners  to  inquire  into  the 
titles  by  which  all  persons  held  their  estates.  Among  the  first, 
Earl  Warrenne  was  asked  to  produce  the  instrument  or  title  by 
which  he  held  his. 

3.  "By  this,"  said  he,  drawing  an  old  rusty  sword  out  of  the 
scabbard;  and  added,  in  a  tone  of  determination,  "William  of 
Normandy  did  not  conquer  the  kingdom  for  himself  alone ;  my  ances- 
tor was  a  joint  adventurer  in  the  enterpnsp ;  and  I  am  resolved  to 
maintain  what  has  from  that  period  remained  without  question  in 


What  of  the  combatants?     11.  What  happened  at  tlie  conclusion  of  each  day's  sports? 

12.  Were  lives  ever  lost  at  the  tournaments?     13.  What  of  the  tournament  at  Chalons? 

LXXI. — 1.  When  did  Edward  arrive  in  England?     What  were  his  first  acts?     What 

Inquiry  did  he  set  on  foot?     3.  What  was  Earl  Warrenue's  reply  to  the  inquiry?     4 


CONQUEST   OF    WALES. — 1282.  127 

my  family."    This  answer  made  Edward  sensible  of  the  danger  he 
was  incurring,  and  he  put  an  end  to  the  inquiry. 

4.  Edward  appears  to  have  always  had  a  great  dislike  to  the 
Jews,  and  this  was  very  much  increased  by  his  expedition  to  the 
Holy  Land.  One  of  his  first  acts  after  his  return  was  to  confiscate 
all  the  property,  and  to  banish  from  the  kingdom  all  the  people  of 
that  nation.  Since  that  time  there  have  been  very  few  Jews  in 
England,  and  the  business  of  lending  money,  which  had  hitherto 
been  confined  to  them,  was  now  taken  up  by  the  Lombards,  and 
other  foreigners. 

5.  Edward  could  not  long  remain  without  some  employment. 
So  he  resolved  to  chastise  the  Welsh,  because  they  had  taken  part 
with  the  rebels  in  his  father's  reign,  and  because  their  prince  had 
refused  to  do  homage  to  himself  as  his  sovereign. 

6.  Advancing  into  their  country  with  an  army,  he  completely 
defeated  them  in  a  battle  fought  December  11th,  1282.  Theii 
prince,  named  Llewellyn,  was  slain,  and  his  brother  David  taken 
prisoner,  and  executed  like  a  common  traitor. 


THE  DKATII  OK   JLLEWKLLYN, 

7.  Edward  now  took  undisputed  possession  of  Wales.  Fearing 
that  the  Welsh  Bards  might,  by  their  music  and  poetry,  in  which 
were  celebrated  the  heroic  deeds  of  their  ancestors,  revive  in  the 
minds  of  their  young  countrymen  the  idea  of  military  valor  and 
ancient  glory,  the  conqueror  barbarously  ordered  them  all  to  be 
put  to  death' 

8.  It  is  said  by  the  old  monkish  historians,  that  Edward,  having 
assembled  the  leaders  of  the  Welsh,  promised  to  give  them  a  prince 

Wliat  is  said  of  the  Jews?  o.  What  oxpeditioD  did  Edward  next  engage  in  ?  6.  When 
was  the  decisive  battle  fonght  in  Wales?  7.  What  of  the  Welsh  Bards?  8.  What  did 
Edward  promise  tlio  assembled  Welsh  leaders?  9.  How  did  he  perform  his  promise* 
What  is  the  title  of  the  kinfe's  eldest  son  ? 


128 


THE    MAID    OF    NORWAY. — 1286. 


of  unexceptionable  manners,  a  Welshman  by  birth,  and  one  who  could 
speak  no  other  language.  Captivated  by  this  description,  they  poured 
forth  violent  acclamations  of  joy,  and  promises  of  obedience. 


THK   FIRST  PRINCE  OF  WALES. 


9.  The  king  then  presented  to  them  his  second  son,  Edward,  an 
infant,  who  had  lately  been  born  in  the  castle  of  Caernarvon.  The 
death  of  his  eldest  son,  soon  after,  made  young  Edward  heir  to  the 
crown ;  and  from  that  time  the  principality  of  Wales  has  given  the 
title  to  the  eldest  son  of  the  King  of  England. 


r 


CHAPTEE  LXXII. 

The  Maid  of  Norway. — Edward  interferes  in  the  Affairs  of  Scotlafid. 

1.  We  have  now  shown  how  well  Edward  succeeded  in  part  of 
his  plan  to  unite  the  whole  island  under  his  own  dominion.  We 
shall  next  see  how  nearly  Scotland  also  was  thrown  into  his  grasp. 

2.  The  kings  of  Scotland  and  England  had  lived  for  a  long  time 
in  singular  harmony,  considering  how  apt  neighbors  are  to  quarrel. 
Alexander  III.  had  married  Edward's  sister,  who  died,  leaving  one 
child,  Margaret,  who  married  the  King  of  Norway,  and  died,  leav- 
ing an  only  daughter  about  three  years  old,  commonly  called  the 
Maid  of  Norivay. 

3.  Alexander  himself  died  in  1286,  and  his  infant  grandchild  be- 
came heiress  of  his  dominions.  Edward  proposed  to  the  King  of 
Norway  that  the  Prince  of  Wales  should  marry  his  daughter,  the 
little  Queen  of  Scotland.    Such  early  marriages  w^ere  then  not  un- 


LXXII. — 2.  Who  was  the  Maid  of  Norway  ?    3.  What  proposal  did  Edward  make  in  re- 


A^F|^A.IKa(  OF   SCOTLAND. — 12i>6.  129 

common.  Indeed,  Alexander  and  his  queen  had  been  betrothed 
when  neither  of  them  was  a  year  old. 

4.  The  King  of  K  ;rway  and  the  parliament  of  Scotland  agreed 
to  the  proposal ;  but  the  death  of  the  young  queen,  on  her  voyage 
to  Scotland,  put  an  end  to  the  project.  The  demise  of  a  girl  three 
years  old  was  never  before  so  much  lamented,  nor  has  ever  since 
produced  such  disastrous  consequences. 

5.  What  might  have  happened  had  she  lived  we  know  not ;  but 
her  death  prevented  the  union  between  the  two  nations,  and  plunged 
Scotland  into  long  and  bloody  private  and  public  wars.  No  less  than 
thirteen  competitors  for  the  throne  appeared.  Robert  Bruce  and 
John  Baliol  had  the  strongest  claims,  and  they  agreed  to  refer  the 
decision  to  Edward. 

6.  This  was  a  very  common  mode  of  settling  disputes  in  that  age. 
Edward,  whose  reputation  was  very  high  among  his  contemporaries, 
had  before  been  selected  to  decide  controversies  between  states  and 
princes.  As  the  parties  to  these  disputes  had  been  distant,  and  his 
own  interest  was  not  concerned,  his  decisions  had  been  wise  and 
equitable. 

7.  The  temptation  in  the  present  case  was  too  strong  for  him  to 
resist.  He  came  to  the  borders  of  Scotland  with  a  powerful  army, 
and  insisted  that  his  supremacy  over  Scotland  should  be  acknow- 
ledged, before  proceeding  in  the  cause  which  had  been  referred  to 
him.     The  Scots,  after  great  hesitation,  agreed  to  this. 

8.  He  then  required  that  all  the  places  of  strength  should  be  put 
into  his  hands ;  and  when  this  was  done,  he  gave  judgment  in  favor 
of  Baliol,  who  was  proclaimed  King  of  Scotland.  But  he  obtained 
only  the  name  of  king.  Possessing  little  ability,  he  was  treated  like 
a  child  by  Edward,  who  usurped  all  the  power,  and  was  disposed 
to  treat  the  Scots  like  slaves. 

9.  But  they  were  not  of  a  temper  to  submit  tamely  to  this.  They 
took  up  arms,  but  were  defeated  at  Dunbar.  Edward  now  treated 
Scotland  like  a  conquered  province.  He  obliged  Baliol  to  resign  his 
crown,  and  also  ordered  all  the  records  and  monuments  of  antiquity 
to  be  destroyed,  and  carried  to  England  with  hipa  the  regalia  of 
Scotland,  as  the  crown,  sceptre,  and  other  symbols  of  royalty  are 
called. 

10.  But  there  was  one  loss  which  the  Scots  felt  more  sensibly 
than  all.  That  was  the  stone  chair  at  Scone,  in  which  the  kings  of 
Scotland  had  been  wont  to  sit  when  they  were  crowned,  and  to 
w]iich  a  superstitious  value  was  attached.  This  was  carried  to 
England,  and  is  still  to  be  seen  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

gard  to  her  ?  4.  What  prevented  its  execution  ?  6.  W^ho  claimed  the  crown  of  Scotland  ? 
To  wliose  decision  were  the  claims  referred?  6.  What  is  said  of  Edward's  decisions  in 
other  cases?  7.  What  did  he  require  before  he  considered  the  question?  8.  In  whose 
favor  did  he  decide  it?  How  did  he  treat  the  Scots?  9.  How  did  the  Scots  bear  his 
treatment?  Where  were  tliey  defeated?  What  did  Edward  do  after  his  victory  at  Dun« 
bar?    10.  What  loss  did  the  Scots  feel  the  most? 


r 


130  WILLIAM    WALLACE. — 1297. 


CHAPTER  LXXIII. 

Wallace. — Singular  Expedient  of  an  English  Nobleman,  to  inform 
Robert  Bruce  of  i7npending  Danger, — JSdward's  Vow. — How  it  was 
fulfilled. — Death  of  Edward. 

1.  After  the  battle  of  Dunbar,  Edward  appointed  Earl  War- 
renne  to  be  governor  of  Scotland,  and  gave  all  the  ofiices  to  Eng- 
lishmen. The  Scots  groaned  bitterly  under  this  degradation;  and 
in  1297,  William  Wallace  stood  forth,  though  only  a  private  gen- 
tleman of  small  property,  to  rescue  his  fallen  country. 

2.  He  was  soon  joined  by  several  of  the  nobility;  and  notwith- 
standing the  impediments  he  met  with  from  some  of  the  nobles,  he 
maintained  the  glorious  struggle  for  eight  years,  but  with  various 
success.  At  one  time  he  pushed  his  victorious  army  into  England; 
but  at  another,  his  cause  was  nearly  ruined  at  Falkirk,  where 
Edward  gained  a  complete  victory.  At  last,  in  1305,  he  was  be- 
trayed into  the  hands  of  the  English,  who  j^ut  him  to  death. 

3.  John  Baliol  being  dead,  Robert  Bruce,  son  of  the  former  com- 
petitor, was  generally  recognized  as  the  legal  heir  to  the  crown  of 
Scotland.  Although  he  was  residing  at  the  court  of  Edward,  his 
heart  was  with  his  countrymen,  and  he  was  constantly  contriving 
how  he  might  strike  the  most  effective  blow  for  their  rights,  as  well 
as  his  own,  and  for  this  purpose  he  corresponded  with  some  patri- 
otic nobles  at  home. 

4.  One  of  these  proved  treacherous  to  the  cause,  and  informed 
Edward  of  all  their  plans.  Edward  did  not  at  once  commit  Bruce 
to  prison,  for  such  of  the  nobles  as  were  not  in  his  power  would 
have  taken  the  alarm,  and  made  their  escape.  So  he  put  spies 
upon  him,  and  had  all  his  motions  strictly  watched. 

5.  An  English  noble,  Bruce's  intimate  friend,  was  apprised  of  his 
danger;  but  not  daring,  amidst  so  many  jealous  eyes,  to  hold  any 
conversation  with  him,  he  hit  upon  an  expedient  to  give  him  warn- 
ing that  it  was  full  time  he  should  make  his  escape.  He  sent  him 
a  pair  of  gilt  spurs,  and  a  purse  of  gold,  which  he  pretended  to  have 
borrowed  from  him,  and  left  it  to  the  sagacity  of  Robert  to  discover 
the  meaning  of  the  present. 

6.  Bruce  immediately  contrived  the  means  of  escape ;  and  as  the 
ground  was  at  that  time  covered  with  snow,  he  had  the  precaution 
to  order  his  horse  to  be  shod  with  his  shoes  reversed,  that  he  might 
deceive  those  who  should  track  his  path  over  the  open  fields  and 
cross  roads,  through  which  he  proposed  to  travel. 

7.  In  a  few  days  he  arrived  at  Dumfries,  where  he  fortunately 
found  a  great  number  of  the  Scottish  nobility  assembled,  and  the 
traitor,  John  Cummin,  among  them.    They  were  not  a  little  sur- 

LXXIII.— 1.  What  did  Edward  do  after  the  victory  at  Dunbar?  2.  What  is  said  of 
William  Wallace?  3.  Who  was  Robert  Bruce?  Relate  the  particulars  of  his  escape 
from  Edward's  court.     7.  What  did  he  dn  at  PumfrieR?     9.  Relate  the  ceremony  with 


EDWARD   II. — 1307.  131 

prised  at  Bruce's  unexpected  arrival,  and  still  more  so  when  he 
stated  to  them  tlie  occasion  of  his  journey. 

8.  They  readily  agreed  at  once  to  take  up  arms,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Cummin,  who  did  all  he  could  to  persuade  them  to  remam 
quietly  in  subjection  to  Edward.  To  punish  him  for  his  former 
treachery,  and  to  prevent  his  doing  any  mischief  for  the  future,  he 
was  put  to  death. 

9.  When  Edward  heard  of  these  proceedings,  he  was  enraged 
beyond  measure,  and  vowed  the  destruction  of  The  Bruce.  He  began 
his  expedition  into  Scotland  with  a  singular  ceremony.  He  assembled 
all  his  nobles  in  Westminster  Abbey,  and,  with  many  solemnities, 
caused  two  live  swans,  adorned  with  bells  of  gold,  to  be  brought  in. 

10.  By  these  swans,  he  took  a  solemn  oath  that  he  would  march 
into  Scotland,  and  never  return  till  he  had  brought  it  into  subjec- 
tion. He  kept  his  vow,  but  not  in  the  way  that  he  intended ;  for 
he  did  not  subjugate  Scotland,  and  he  never  returned.  He  spent 
many  months  in  a  vain  pursuit  of  Bruce  and  his  adherents,  who 
contrived  to  conceal  themselves  among  the  mountains,  seizing  every 
opportunity  of  annoying  the  English. 

11.  At  last,  Edward,  exasperated  by  disappointment,  sent  for  all 
the  forces  in  his  dominions  to  meet  him  at  Carlisle.  Before  they 
could  arrive,  he  was  taken  very  ill.  It  was  reported  that  he  was 
dead,  and,  to  show  the  falsehood  of  the  report,  he  set  out  from  Car- 
lisle, but  after  advancing  a  few  miles  he  was  compelled  to  stop.  A 
tent  was  set  up  by  the  road-side,  in  which  he  expired,  July  7th,  1307. 

12.  Before  he  died,  he  charged  his  eldest  son,  Edward,  to  send 
his  heart  to  the  Holy  Land,  to  carry  his  body  with  the  army  into 
Scotland,  and  not  to  bury  it  till  he  had  made  a  complete  conquest 
of  that  country;  and  never  to  recall  Piers  Gaveston,  a  wicked 
favorite  of  the  son,  whom  the  father  had  banished.  Edward  waa 
seventy  years  old,  and  had  reigned  thirty-five  years. 


CHAPTEK  LXXIV.  ^-""^ 

Edward  II. — Battle  of  Bannockburn. — The  Effect  of  the  Defeat  upon 

the  English. 

1.  When  Edward  I.  died,  his  son  was  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
and  the  English  had  conceived  such  a  good  opinion  of  him,  that  they 
thought  they  should  be  happy  under  his  government ;  but  the  first 
acts  of  his  reign,  which  were  in  direct  disobedience  of  his  father's 
dying  injunction,  blasted  their  hopes.  Abandoning  the  invasion 
of  Scotland,  he  disbanded  his  army,  and,  recalling  Gaveston  from 
banishment,  he  gave  himself  up  to  idle  amusements. 

which  Edward  began  his  expedition  to  Scotland.  10.  How  was  his  vow  kept?  11.  Re- 
late the  particulars  of  his  death.  12.  What  was  his  charge  to  his  son?  How  old  was  he? 
How  long  did  he  reign  ? 


132  BATTLE    OF    BANNOCKBURN. — 1314. 

2.  Edward  II.  resembled  his  father  in  the  beauty  of  his  person 
but  not  in  the  qualities  of  his  mind.  He  was  weak,  passionate,  and 
irresolute,  and  addicted  to  the  vice  of  excessive  drinking.  He  w^a? 
devotedly  attached  to  his  favorites,  who  were  without  exception  ill 
chosen  and  unworthy  persons.  The  only  kingly  quality  he  pos- 
sessed was  personal  courage;  but  this,  as  it  was  not  guided  by 
discretion,  was  of  no  service  to  himself  or  his  country. 

3.  Gaveston  was  loaded  with  honors  and  riches  by  the  king,  of 
whose  favor  he  was  very  vain.  He  treated  the  nobles  with  the 
utmost  insolence,  and  used  to  divert  himself  and  his  royal  master  by 
turning  them  into  ridicule,  and  giving  them  nicknames.  This  con- 
duct gave  great  offence  to  the  nobles,  which  was  heightened  by  the 
king's  appointing  Gaveston  to  be  guardian  of  the  kingdom,  w^hen  he 
went  to  France  to  marry  Isabella,  daughter  of  Philip  the  Fair. 

4.  A  confederacy  was  formed  against  him,  at  the  head  of  which 
was  the  Earl  of  Lancaster,  the  king's  cousin,  the  richest  and  most 
powerful  baron  in  the  kingdom.  The  king  was  required  to  send 
Gaveston  out  of  the  country,  and  he  affected  to  comply  with  the 
demand;  but  "instead  of  sending  him  home  to  Gascony,  as  the 
barons  intended,  he  made  him  governor  of  Ireland. 

5.  In  about  a  year,  Gaveston  was  recalled  to  court,  where  he  be- 
haved as  insolently  as  ever.  The  nobles,  finding  remonstrances  to 
be  vain,  broke  out  into  open  rebellion.  At  last  Gaveston  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  rebels  and  put  to  death.  The  king  was  thrown  into 
agonies  of  grief  by  the  death  of  his  favorite ;  but  he  had  so  com- 
pletely lost  the  affections  of  the  people,  that  he  had  no  means  of 
avenging  it,  and  was  obliged  to  accept  such  terms  of  peace  as  the 
barons  chose  to  offer. 

6.  In  the  mean  time,  Bruce,  by  his  courage  and  prudence,  had 
nearly  rid  his  country  of  its  invaders.  At  last  Edward  resolved  to 
make  one  vigorous  effort,  and  to  reduce  Scotland  by  a  single  blow. 
He  entered  that  country  at  the  head  of  the  largest  army  that  had 
ever  marched  out  of  England,  and  on  the  24th  of  June,  1314, 
arrived  within  three  miles  of  Stirling,  where  he  saw  the  Scottish 
army  drawn  up  on  the  banks  of  the  little  river  Bannock. 

7.  Bruce  had  been  able  to  muster  only  about  thirty  thousand 
men  to  oppose  the  immense  host  of  the  King  of  England ;  but  he 
neglected  nothing  that  could  facilitate  his  success.  He  placed  his 
army  on  a  rising  ground,  with  a  river  in  front,  and  a  bog  on  one 
side ;  and  to  make  the  approach  still  more  difficult,  he  caused  pits 
to  be  dug  and  filled  with  sharp  stakes,  and  the  tops  covered  over 
with  turf  and  leaves. 

8.  The  English  halted  for  the  night,  and,  despising  the  little 
army  opposed  to  them,  spent  the  time  in  feasting  and  merriment ; 
while  the  Scots  were  occupied  in  devotion,  and  in  mutual  exhorta- 
tions to  conquer  or  to  die.  The  Earl  of  Gloucester,  who  commanded 
the  English  cavalry,  was  the  first  to  advance,  and,  falling  into  one 
of  the  pits,  was  the  first  to  die  on  that  disastrous  day. 

LXXIV.— 1.  How  did  Edward  II.  obey  his  father's  dying  commands?  2.  What  is 
said  of  his  character?  3.  What  of  Gaveston?  4.  What  did  the  nobles  do?  How  did 
the  king  comply  with  their  demand  ?     5.  Wliat  became  of  Gaveston  ?     6.  What  prepara 


FAMINES. 131R.  133 

9.  The  cavalry,  having  lost  its  leader,  was  thrown  into  confusion, 
and  completely  routed.  While  the  infantry  were  alarmed  with  this 
unfortunate  beginning,  they  observed  what  appeared  to  be  another 
army  marching  leisurely  over  the  heights  as  if  ^  surround  them. 
This  was,  in  fact,  a  number  of  the  wagoners  and  boys,  whom  Bruce 
had  furnished  with  banners,  and  who,  at  a  distance,  made  a  very 
warlike  show. 

10.  The  stratagem  succeeded  completely.  The  English  threw 
down  their  arms  and  fled  without  striking  a  blow,  and  Edward  was 
himself  obliged  to  fly,  to  avoid  being  made  a  prisoner.  They  were 
pursued  with  great  slaughter  for  ninety  miles,  till  they  reached  Ber- 
wick. Such  was  the  battle  of  Bannockburn,  which  secured  the  in- 
dependence of  Scotland,  and  which  is  remembered  as  the  greatest 
overthrow  which  the  English  have  sustained  since  the  Conquest. 

11.  They  did  not  recover  from  the  effects  of  this  defeat  for  a  long 
time.  They  were  so  much  dispirited  and  cast  down,  that  they  lost 
all  courage,  so  that  for  several  years  no  superiority  of  numbers 
could  encourage  them  to  keep  the  field  against  the  Scots. 

12.  A  little  humiliation,  probably,  did  them  no  harm,  for  Frois- 
sart,  the  French  chronicler,  tells  us,  "that  the  English  were  so 
proud  and  haughty,  that  they  could  not  behave  to  the  people  of 
other  nations  with  civility." 


CHAPTER    LXXV. 

Famines,  and  the  causes  of  their  frequency  at  this  period. — Agriculture. 
—  Customs  in  the  Fourteenth  Century. 

1.  To  add  to  the  distresses  which  England  suffered  from  the  con- 
duct of  the  barons,  there  occurred,  in  1316,  a  most  grievous  famine. 
Provisions  became  so  scarce  that  the  nobles,  whose  magnificence 
was  -principally  shown  in  the  number  of  their  retainers,  were  obliged 
to  discard  many  of  them. 

2.  These  people,  having  been  accustomed  to  lead  idle  lives  in  the 
castles  of  their  lords,  commonly  turned  robbers  to  obtain  the  means 
of  living ;  and  this  they  did  in  such  great  numbers,  that  the  country 
was  overrun  by  them. 

3.  Famines  were  of  more  frequent  occurrence  in  those  days  than 
at  present,  because  agriculture  was  conducted  in  a  very  unskilful 
manner,  being  left  entirely  to  the  lowest  classes,  and  considered  be- 
neath the  attention  of  a  gentleman.  It  was  one  of  the  grounds  of 
complaint  against  Edward  II.,  that  he  was  fonder  of  agriculture 
than  of  war. 

4.  That  sagacious  monarch,  Edward  I.,  did  not  think  it  beneath 

tioii  (lid  Edward  make  a^fiinst  Scotland?  7,  8,  9, 10.  Relate  the  particulars  of  the  battle 
of  Bannockburn.  11.  What  was  its  effect  on  the  English  character?  12.  W^hat  does 
Froisnart  say  of  the  English? 

LXXV. — 1.  What  distressing  event  occurred  in  1316?  2.  What  vas  one  consequence? 
3.  What  of  famines   in   those   times?    4.  What  of  husbandry?     6.  What  of  horticul- 

12 


134  HUGH   SPENSER. 1822. 

his  consideration,  for  in  a  book  of  laws  made  in  his  time,  there  are 
very  particular  directions  when  and  how  to  till  the  ground.  As  the 
people  had  no  means  of  fattening  cattle  in  the  winter,  salted  meat 
was  used  during  the  whole  time  that  they  could  not  feed  them  in 
the  pastures  on  grass. 

5.  Horticulture  was  not  entirely  neglected.  The  houses  of  the 
nobility  had  commonly  some  sort  of  garden,  or  ^^ pleasance,'^  attached 
to  them ;  and  all  the  monasteries  had  orchards  and  gardens,  includ- 
ing a  "  herberie,^^  or  physic  garden,  the  chief  medicines  of  the  times 
being  prepared  from  j.erbs.  The  list  of  culinary  vegetables  at  this 
time  was  very  small,  there  being  few  besides  carrots,  parsnips,  and 
cabbages  in  general  use. 

6.  Notwithstanding  the  bad  husbandry,  the  nobles  and  rich  peo- 
ple contrived  to  live  very  sumptuously.  Edward  II.  issued  a  proc- 
lamation, forbidding  his  subjects  to  have  more  than  two  courses  at 
dinner.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  king  set  the  example  by  making 
a  reform  at  court.  At  a  marriage  feast  of  Henry  the  Third's 
brother,  there  were  thirty  thousand  dishes. 

7.  It  was  the  custom  for  kings  to  be  attended  at  the  table  by  their 
physicians,  to  tell  them  what  to  eat — a  necessary  precaution,  since 
their  banquets  were  so  profuse.  There  were  but  two  regular  meals 
in  the  day,  dinner  and  supper.  The  time  of  dinner,  even  at  court, 
was  at  nine  in  the  morning,  and  the  time  of  supper  at  five  in  the 
afternoon. 

8.  These  hours  were  thought  to  be  friendly  to  health  and  long  life, 
according  to  the  following  verses,  which  were  then  often  repeated : 

Lever  a  cinq,  diner  a  neuf, 
Souper  a  cinq,  couclier  a  neuf, 
Fait  vivre  dans  nonante  et  neuf. 


\ 


To  rise  at  five,  to  dine  at  nine, 
To  sup  at  five,  to  bed  at  nine, 
Makes  a  man  live  to  ninety-nine. 


V 


CHAPTER    LXXVI. 


Edward  11.  receives  Hugh  Spenser  into  his  Favor. — He  is  dethroned 
and  cruelly  murdered  by  Isabella  and  Roger  Mortimer. 

1.  Edward  II.  did  not  possess  strength  of  mind  enough  to  exist 
without  some  favorite.  A  Welsh  gentleman,  named  Hugh  Spenser, 
succeeded  to  Gaveston's  place  in  the  affection  of  the  king,  and  in  the 
envy  and  hatred  of  the  nobles.     Edward  lavished  favors  upon  him 

ture?    6.  What  of  the  style  of  living  among  the  nobles?    7.  What  were  the  hours  foi 
meala  ? 
LXXVI.— 1.  Who  succeeded   Gaveston  in  the  king's  favor?    What  was  the  couse" 


ISABEL].A   AND    ROGER    MORTIMER. 1326.  135 

and  his  father,  who  was  also  named  Hugh  Spenser,  as  he  had  upon 
Ga^  eston,  and  the  Uke  consequences  ensued. 

2.  Both  parties  resorted  to  arms.  At  last,  in  March,  1322,  the 
Earl  of  Lancaster  was  taken  prisoner.  After  a  short  trial,  he  was 
condemned  to  death,  and,  on  the  22d  of  March,  this  once  powerful 
nobleman,  placed  on  a  miserable  horse,  and  clothed  in  a  shabby  dress, 
was  led  out  of  Pontefract,  which  had  been  his  own  chief  place  of  resi- 
dence*  and  taken  to  a  hill  near  the  town,  where  he  was  beheaded. 

3.  The  question  of  doing  homage  for  the  territories  held  by  the 
King  of  England  in  France  had  always,  as  will  be  recollected,  been 
a  source  of  contention  between  the  two  countries.  A  dispute  now 
arose  as  to  Edward's  doing  homage  for  Guienne,  which  had  been 
restored  to  the  English  crown. 

4.  In  1325  Isabella  was  sent  over  to  France  to  accommodate 
matters  between  her  husband  and  her  brother.  She  found  at  Paris 
a  large  number  of  nobles  who  had  been  obliged  to  leave  England 
in  the  late  rebellions.  The  hatred  which  she  herself  felt  for  the 
Spensers  led  to  a  secret  friendship  and  intercourse  with  the  exiles. 

5.  One  of  these,  named  Roger  Mortimer,  a  man  of  infamous  cha- 
racter, gained  such  an  influence  over  her,  that,  yielding  entirely  to 
his  counsels,  she  refused  to  return  to  England,  and  set  herself  up  in 
rebellion  against  her  husband.  By  artifice  she  obtained  possession 
of  the  person  of  her  son,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  then  determined 
to  make  a  hostile  invasion  of  England. 

6.  As  her  brother  disapproved  her  conduct,  he  would  yield  her  no 
assistance.  She  applied,  therefore,  to  the  Earl  of  Hainault,  and,  by 
promising  her  son  in  marriage  to  his  daughter  Philippa,  procured  from 
him  a  small  fleet  and  some  troops,  with  which  she  landed  in  England, 
September  24th,  1326.  The  Spensers  were  so  universally  detested, 
that  many  nobles  joined  the  queen,  merely  out  of  hatred  to  them. 

7.  The  king,  abandoned  by  everybody,  fled  into  Wales,  and 
sought  to  conceal  himself;  but  he  was  soon  discovered,  and  con- 
fined at  Kenilworth  Castle.  The  Spensers,  being  also  taken  prison- 
el's,  were  put  to  death  without  any  form  of  trial. 

8.  In  the  mean  time,  Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  a  boy  fourteen 
years  old,  had  been  placed  by  his  mother  and  Mortimer  at  the  head 
of  the  rebel  army,  and  declared  regent.  But  as  he  possessed  no 
authority,  the  kingdom  was  in  a  deplorable  state.  The  mobs  of 
London  and  other  cities  committed  robberies  and  murders  with 
impunity,  and  were  called  by  the  name  of  the  Riflers. 

9.  The  queen  and  Mortimer,  having  the  king  in  their  power,  de- 
clared him  incapable  of  governing,  and  proclaimed  the  prince  king 
in  his  stead.  But  the  latter  refused  to  be  king  in  his  father's  life- 
time, without  his  consent.  The  parliament,  who  were  completely 
subservient  to  the  queen  and  her  favorite,  sent  a  deputation  to  in- 
form Edward  of  his  deposition. 

quence?  2.  What  was  tho  fate  of  Lancaster?  3.  What  was  a  subject  of  dispute  with 
France?  4.  What  did  Isabella  do?  5.  What  of  Roger  Mortimer?  6,  What  of  the 
queen's  attempt  to  get  assistance?  7.  What  became  of  the  queen?  What  of  tte  Spen- 
sers? 8.  What  were  the  Riflers?  9,10,11,12,13.  Relate  the  particulars  of  the  king's 
treatment.     When  was  he  murdered  ?     How  old  was  he? 


186  i:dward  hi. — !:!27. 

10.  As  soon  as  the  miserable  sovereign  saw  the  deputies,  he 
fainted ;  and  when  he  recovered  and  was  told  their  errand,  he  said 
to  them  that  he  was  in  their  power,  and  must  submit  to  their  will. 
Judge  Trussel,  one  of  the  party,  then,  in  the  name  of  the  people  of 
England,  renounced  all  fealty  to  Edward  of  Caernarvon,  as  he  was 
styled  from  the  place  of  his  birth;  and  Sir  Thomas  Blount,  high 
steward,  broke  his  staff,  and  declared  all  the  king's  officers  dis- 
charged from  his  service.  . 

11.  Thus  ended  the  reign  of  Edward  II.,  a  period  of  nearly 
twenty  years  of  public  disgrace  and  private  calamity.  But  his  own 
miseries  did  not  end  with  it.  He  was  committed  to  the  custody  of 
some  wretches,  who  did  all  they  could  to  kill  him  by  ill  usage. 
They  hurried  him  about  from  castle  to  castle,  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  and  but  half  clothed. 

12.  One  day,  for  sport,  they  ordered  him  to  be  shaved  in  the  open 
fields,  with  water  out  of  a  dirty  ditch,  and  refused  to  let  him  have  any 
other.  The  unhappy  monarch  shed  tears  at  this  treatment,  and, 
while  the  tears  were  trickling  down  his  cheeks,  said,  with  a  smile 
of  grief,  "  Here  is  clean  warm  water,  whether  you  will  or  no." 

13.  But  this  method  of  killing  him  proved  very  slow,  and  com- 
passion for  the  king's  sufferings  was  working  a  change  in  the  feel- 
ings of  the  people.  Mortimer,  therefore,  gave  directions  that  he 
should  be  murdered.  These  were  executed  with  circumstances  of 
the  greatest  cruelty,  on  the  21st  of  September,  1327,  Edward  being 
then  in  the  forty-third  year  of  his  age. 

FAMILY   OF   EDWARD   II. 
WIFE. 
Isabella,  daughter  of  Philip  the  Fair,  King  of  France. 

SONS. 
Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  who  succeeded  to  the  throne. 
Tohn,  Earl  of  Cornwall, 

DAUGHTERS. 

Jane,  married  to  David  Bruce,  King  of  Scotland. 
Eleanor,  married  to  Reginald,  Count  of  Gueidres. 


< 


CHAPTEE  LXXVII. 


^ 


Edward  III. —  War  with  Scoiland. —  Of  the  Scottish  Troops. — Narro\o 
Escape  of  Edward. — Peace  with  Scotland. 

1.  We  have  now  to  tell  the  story  of  a  king  who  is  esteemed  one 
of  the  greatest  of  English  sovereigns,  though  he  has  been  more  gen- 
erally admired  for  his  bravery  and  military  skill  than  for  his  many 
other  better  qualities.  Edward  III.  was  tall  and  majestic  in  his  per- 
son, and  his  countenance  bore  a  very  noble  expression. 

LXXVII.— 1.  What  is  said  of  the  person  of  Edward  III.?     2.  What  of  his  abilities' 


WAR    WITH   SCOTLAND. — Vii-iO.  137 

2.  His  address  was  pleasing,  and  he  excelled  in  all  the  manly 
and  warlike  exercises.  He  was  also  well  versed  in  the  learning  of 
his  time,  and  had  an  excellent  understanding ;  but,  unfortunately 
for  his  country,  all  the  powers  of  his  mind  were  early  engrossed  by 
one  ruinous  desire,  that  of  making  conquests. 

3.  He  had,  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  reign,  an  opportunity  of 
displaying  his  abilities.  As  he  was  only  fifteen  years  old  at  the 
time  of  his  father's  deposition,  the  government  had  been  intrusted 
to  a  regency  consisting  of  twelve  persons.  But  he  was  allowed  to 
appear  at  the  head  of  the  army  destined  to  act  against  the  Scots, 
who  thought  the  present  a  favorable  time  to  retaliate  on  the  Eng-' 
lish  for  all  the  sufferings  they  had  brought  on  Scotland. 

4.  The  English  army  was  so  much  superior  in  numbers  to  the 
Scottish,  that  in  a  battle  in  the  open  field  the  former  would  probably 
have  been  successful.  But  the  great  difliculty  was  to  obtain  this 
advantage.  The  larger  part  of  the  Scottish  troops  were  light-armed, 
and  all  their  baggage  consisted  of  a  bag  of  oatmeal,  which  each  sol- 
dier carried,  to  be  used  in  case  of  necessity ;  together  with  a  thin 
plate  of  iron,  on  which  he  instantly  baked  the  meal  into  cake  in 
the  open  field. 

5.  But  his  chief  subsistence  was  the  cattle  which  he  seized,  and 
his  cooking  was  as  expeditious  as  all  his  other  operations.  After 
flaying  the  animal,  he  placed  the  skin,  loose,  and  hanging  in  the 
form  of  a  bag,  upon  some  stakes ;  he  poured  water  into  it,  kindled 
a  fire  below,  and  thus  made  it  serve  the  purpose  of  a  pot. 

6.  Therse  troops,  being  mounted  on  small  horses,  passed  rapidly 
from  one  place  to  another  even  quite  distant.  The  smoke  and 
flame  of  burning  villages  would  direct  the  English  to  the  place  of 
their  encampment,  but  before  they  could  arrive  there,  the  Scots  were 
already  far  away.  At  one  time  Edward  lost  the  track  of  them 
altogether,  and  although  he  offered  a  large  reward  to  any  one  who 
should  bring  him  an  account  of  their  movements,  it  was  several 
days  before  lie  received  the  wished-for  intelligence. 

7.  Upon  one  occasion  he  ran  a  very  narrow  risk  of  being  taken 
himself.  Douglas,  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  patriotic  of  the  Scot- 
tish nobles,  having  obtained  the  password,  and  surveyed  exactly  the 
situation  of  the  English  camp,  entered  it  secretly  in  the  night-time, 
with  a  body  of  two  hundred  determined  soldiers. 

8.  He  advanced  directly  to  the  royal  tent,  but  some  of  Edward's 
attendants,  waking  at  this  critical  moment,  gave  the  alarm.  His 
chaplain  and  chamberlain  sacrificed  their  lives  for  his  safety,  and 
the  darkness  favored  his  attempt  to  escape. 

9.  Robert  Bruce,  finding  that  he  had  to  contend  with  a  far  more 
formidable  antagonist  than  the  late  king,  readily  accepted  proposals 
for  peace  which  were  made  by  the  regency.  All  claim  to  homage 
was  renounced  on  behalf  of  the  English  king,  and  Eobert  was  ac- 
knowledged as  independent  sovereign  of  Scotland.    To  cement  the 

3.  What  was  his  age  when  he  came  to  the  throne?  To  whom  was  the  govemmc*  in- 
trusted? 4,5.  What  is  said  of  the  Scottish  troops?  6.  What  of  Edward's  attenif  to 
bring  them  to  battle?  7,  8.  Relate  the  attempt  to  take  Edward.  9.  What  wer-  •  *i 
terms  of  peace  ? 

12  * 


138  MORTIMER   PUT   TO    DEATH. 1330. 

union,  it  was  agreed  that  David,  the  heir  to  the  Scottish  throne, 
should  marry  Jane,  the  sister  of  Edward. 


I 


CHAPTER  LXXVIII. 

Edward  IIL,  having  put  Mortimer  to  Death,  governs  the  Kingdom 
with  great  Prudence. — He  makes  War  on  Scotland. —  Claims  tlie 
Crown  of  France. 

1.  In  pursuance  of  the  agreement  with  the  Earl  of  Hainault,  Ed- 
ward was  married,  in  1328,  to  his  daughter,  Philippa.  She  proved 
to  be  a  queen  of  the  highest  and  most  irreproachable  character,  and 
no  less  distinguished  for  her  sense  and  intrepidity,  when  the  occasion 
called  these  qualities  forth,  than  for  her  benevolence  and  gentleness. 

2.  Although  there  was  nominally  a  regency,  yet  the  sovereign 
power  was  in  fact  usurped  by  Mortimer,  who  adopted  such  measures 
as  he  pleased  without  consulting  anybody.  His  wickedness  and 
rapacity  made  him  more  deservedly  odious  than  either  Gaveston  or 
the  Spensers  had  been.  Although  the  greatest  care  was  taken  to 
conceal  them  from  him,  the  abuses  which  were  practised  could  not 
escape  the  observation  of  so  sagacious  a  prince  as  Edward. 

3.  When  he  reached  his  eighteenth  year,  feeling  himself  capable 
of  governing,  he  determined  to  make  an  effort  to  throw  off  the  yoke 
of  the  insolent  favorite  of  his  mother.  But  he  was  so  surrounded 
by  the  spies  of  Mortimer,  that  he  was  obliged  to  use  as  much  secrecy 
and  precaution  as  if  he  were  plotting  treason. 

4.  He  engaged  the  assistance  of  many  of  the  nobles,  and  then  de- 
termined to  seize  upon  the  queen  and  Mortimer,  who  were  residing 
at  Nottingham  Castle.  This  castle  was  kept  closely  guarded,  and 
though  the  king  was  allowed  to  enter  it,  yet  it  was  with  very  few 
attendants.  The  gates  were  locked  every  evening,  and  the  keys 
carried  to  the  queen. 

5.  But  Edward  contrived  to  find  an  entrance  for  his  friends, 
through  a  subterranean  passage.  In  spite  of  the  entreaties  of  the 
queen,  who  called  upon  her  son  "  to  have  pity  on  the  gentle  Mor- 
timer," he  was  seized  and  carried  away  prisoner  to  Westminster. 
He  was  soon  afterwards  hanged  at  Tyburn ;  and  Eleanor,  being 
deprived  of  her  ill-gotten  riches,  was  confined,  during  the  rest  of 
her  life,  to  her  own  house  at  Eising. 

6.  Edward  now  proceeded,  with  great  industry  and  judgment,  in 
settling  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom ;  but  unhappily  his  love  of  war 
soon  called  him  off  from  the  arts  of  peace.  In  1331  he  renewed  the 
war  with  Scotland,  and  in  less  than  a  year,  drove  David,  an  infant 
only  seven  years  old,  from  the  throne  which  his  father  had  so 
hardly  won. 

LXXVIII.— 1.  Whom  did  Edward  III.  marry?  When?  2.  What  is  said  of  Morti- 
mer? 3.  What  of  the  feelings  of  the  king?  4,  5.  Relate  the  fate  of  Mortimer  and  the 
queen.    6.  What  did    Edward   proceed   to  do?     When  was  the  war  with  Scotland  re- 


EDWARD    in.    CLAIMS   THE   CROWJ^    OF    FRANCE.  139 

7.  David  took  refuge  in  France,  and  a  son  of  John  Bahol  was 
made;  King  of  Scotland,  if  king  he  could  be  called,  who  was  only  a 
tool  -n  the  hands  of  Edward,  and  who  was  placed  on  the  throne 
and  displaced  from  it,  as  the  party  of  the  English  or  The  Bruce 
prevailed. 

8.  At  last,  Edward,  tired  of  this  war,  in  which  no  glory  was  to 
be  g  lined,  determined  to  abandon  it,  and  to  apply  all  his  strength 
to  eaforce  a  claim  which  he  asserted  to  the  crown  of  France. 
In  0  ;der  that  the  reader  may  understand  the  nature  of  this  claim, 
whi(  h  was  the  occasion  of  long  and  bloody  wars  between  the  two 
coui  tries,  we  must  now  deviate  a  little  from  the  direct  paths  of 
history. 

9.  There  is  an  old  law  in  France,  called  the  Salic  Law,  one  of 
the  provisions  of  which  excludes  females  from  inheriting  the  crown. 
For  a  long  series  of  years  no  occasion  had  occurred  for  applying  the 
rule,  so  that  its  very  existence  came  to  be  questioned.  But  Louis, 
oldest  brother  of  .Eletmor,  having  died  and  left  only  one  daughter, 
the  matter  was  brought  before  the  parliament  of  Paris.  The  Salic 
Xaw  was  declared  to  be  in  force,  and  a  brother  of  the  late  king 
succeeded  to  the  crown. 

10.  Upon  his  death  without  male  heirs,  the  third  brother  mounted 
the  throne.  As  he  died  without  leaving  sons,  the  crown  passed  to 
Philip  of  Valois,  an  uncle's  son,  as  being  the  next  male  heir.  But 
Edward  affirmed  himself  to  be  the  next  male  heir,  being  nephew  to 
the  late  king,  and  contended  that  even  if  his  mother  could  not  be 
queen,  still  he  might  be  king,  as  inheriting  through  her. 

11.  But  the  whole  claim  had  no  foundation  in  law  or  justice, 
since  if  the  Salic  Law  were  not  in  force,  then  the  daughter  of  Louis 
was  entitled  to  the  crown  ;  and  if  his  other  petition  was  true,  then 
the  son  of  that  daughter  was  the  right  heir. 

12.  Edward  did  not  at  once  insist  on  his  pretensions,  as  he  did 
not  feel  strong  enough  to  contend  with  Philip,  who  was  a  prince 
distinguished  for  valor  and  prudence.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to 
do  homage  to  Philip  for  Guienne,  which  was  a  direct  acknowledg- 
n  ent  of  his  title  to  the  (jrown  of  France — a  title  which  the  French 
themselves  considered  as  indisputable. 

Biwed?  7.  What  was  the  result  of  this  war?  8.  What  new  claiiis  did  Edward  put 
i  "th?  9,  Id.  State  the  pretence  for  these  claini-i.  11.  What  is  said  of  their  justice?  12, 
1  y  what  act  did  Edward  himself  recognize  the  title  of  Philij? 


Y^ 


140   EDWARD  III.  DEFEATS  THE  FRENCH  FLEET. 134t). 


CHAPTER  LXXIX. 

Edward  III  makes  War  upon  Philip,  King  of  France,  who  is  in* 
formed  by  his  Fool  of  the  Destruction  of  his  Fleet. — Edivard^  Ui^ 
Black  Prince,  makes  his  first  appearance  at  the  Battle  of  Ores6q. 
Cannon  used. 


EDWARD,  THE  BLACK  PRINCE. 

1.  At  length,  some  other  causes  of  disappointment  against  King 
Philip  having  arisen,  Edward  commenced  his  preparations  for  the 
invasion  of  France.  He  was  thus  occupied  for  two  years.  In  1338 
he  landed  at  Antwerp,  but  found  himself  opposed  by  so  formidable 
an  army  of  Frenchmen,  that  he  was  obliged  to  content  himself  with, 
sending  King  Philip  a  defiance,  and  then  retreated  to  England  and 
disbanded  his  army. 

2.  Notwithstanding  all  his  mighty  preparations  had  produced  no 
result  but  to  involve  him  in  debt  to  an  immense  amount,  Edward 
did  not  give  up  the  project  of  conquering  France.  In  1340  he 
sailed  again,  and,  meeting  the  French  fleet,  completely  defeated  it. 

3.  This  defeat  was  so  completely  unexpected  on  the  part  of  the 
French,  that  no  one  dared  to  tell  Philip  of  it,  till  at  last  it  was  hinted 


LXXIX.— 1,  When   did   Edward   III.  first  invade    France?     With  what  success?     •_>. 
What  was  his  success  in  his   next   attempt  against   France?     3,4,5.  What  is  saif"  •>/ 


EDWARD,    THE    BLACK    PRINCE. 134G.  141 

to  him  by  his  jester.  It  appears  that  it  was  customary  in  those 
days  for  kings  and  nobles  to  have  amongst  their  attendants  one 
whose  business  it  was  to  play  the  fool,  and  who  was  privileged 
to  say  or  do  anything  that  was  ridiculous,  for  the  sake  of  diverting 
his  master. 

4.  The  fool  had  an  appropriate  dress  of  many  different  colors ;  he 
also  wore  a  cap,  made  with  two  great  ears,  to  resemble  asses'  ears, 
and  he  had  little  sheep-bells  fastened  to  different  parts  of  his  dress. 
As  the  jester  was  generally  a  favorite  with  his  master,  he  was  fre- 
quently employed  to  communicate  any  news  which  it  was  feared 
might  excite  the  anger  of  the  lord. 

5.  Upon  the  present  occasion.  King  Philip's  jester  said,  in  his 
hearing,  "O  what  dastardly  cowards  those  English  are!"  "How 
so?"  said  the  king.  "Because,"  rejoined  the  fool,  "they  did  not 
jump  into  the  sea,  as  our  brave  men  have  done."  The  king  then 
demanded  an  explanation,  and  heard  the  whole  disastrous  story. 

6.  But  this  victory  did  nothing  to  further  Edward's  object.  He 
now  found  himself  involved  in  great  difficulties.  He  had  drained 
the  country  of  money,  and  was  so  much  involved  in  debt  that  he 
could  borrow  no  more  without  good  security.  He  had  even  pledged 
his  crown  itself,  and  the  queen's  jewels. 

7.  Still  nothing  could  divert  him  from  his  unjust  desire  to  make 
himself  King  of  France.  In  1346  he  again  landed  in  that  country 
with  an  army,  and  accompanied  by  his  son,  who  has  been  called  the 
Black  Prince,  it  is  supposed  from  the  color  of  his  armor. 

8.  The  King  of  France  assembled  a  large  army  to  oppose  the 
invaders.  After  much  manoeuvring,  in  which  Edward  displayed 
great  skill,  the  English  army,  on  the  25th  of  August,  established 
itself  in  a  very  strong  position  on  the  plain  of  Cressy.  Philip 
made  his  appearance  there  on  the  same  day,  but  as  his  soldiers  were 
fatigued  with  a  rapid  march,  he  ordered  them  to  halt  for  the  night, 
that  they  might  rest  and  refresh  themselves;  but  they  were  too 
much  excited  to  obey  the  orders,  and  continued  to  advance. 

9.  The  English  forces  were  disposed  in  the  best  manner,  and  had 
ample  time  to  refresh  themselves  before  the  French  came  up. 
During  this  interval,  Edward  conferred  the  honor  of  knighthood 
on  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  a  large  band  of  noble  youths,  who 
were  expected  so  to  behave  in  the  approaching  combat  as  to  win 
their  spurs;  that  is,  show  themselves  worthy  the  distinction  they 
had  received. 

10.  It  is  said  that  the  front  of  Edward's  army  was  protected  by 
some  pieces  of  cannon,  the  first  that  had  yet  been  made  use  of  in 
any  battle  in  Europe.  These  cannon  were  very  clumsy  machines. 
They  were  composed  of  bars  of  iron,  held  together  by  hoops,  and 
they  commonly  burst  at  the  third  or  fourth  discharge.  They  were 
at  first  employed  only  to  shoot  off  darts  and  arrows. 

jesters?  7.  Wiy  was  tho  Black  Prince  so  called?  8,9,10.  When  was  tho  battle  oi 
Cressy  fought  ?     What  is  said  of  cannon  ? 


142 


BATTLE   OF    CRESSY. 1346. 


I     / 


CHAPTEE  LXXX. 


Battle  of  Cressy. — Death  of  the  King  of  Bohemia. — Siege  of  Calais.— 
Story  of  Eustace  de  St.  Pierre. 


QUEEN  PHIIilPPA  AND  KING  EDWARD. 

1.  It  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  the  French 
advanced  troops  came  up  with  the  English.  A  short  but  severe 
thunder-storm  suspended  the  commencement  of  the  battle  for  yet 
half  an  hour.  The  sun  then  burst  out  brightly,  darting  his  rays  on 
the  backs  of  the  English,  but  full  in  the  eyes  of  the  French. 

2.  The  battle  was  commenced  by  archers  on  botli  sides.  The 
superior  discipline  of  the  English  at  once  became  apparent.  During 
the  recent  storm  their  bows  had  been  carefully  secured  in  the  cases, 
and  whilst  their  arrows  now  fell  like  hail,  and  with  terrible  execu- 
tion, among  the  French,  those  of  the  latter  all  fell  short  of  their 
mark,  for  their  bow-strings  were  wet  and  slackened. 

3.  The  battle  soon  became  general.  At  the  first  onset,  the  part 
where  the  Black  Prince  was  posted  was  furiously  beset ;  and  the  king, 
who  had  taken  his  station  on  the  top  of  a  windmill,  whence  he 
could  overlook  the  whole  field,  was  importuned  to  go  to  his  succor. 

4.  "Is  my  son  dead,  wounded,  or  felled  to  the  ground?"  said 
Edward.  "Not  so,  thank  God!"  was  the  reply.  "Nay,  then,  he 
has  no  aid  from  me,"  said  the  king ;  "  let  him  bear  himself  like  a 
man ;  in  this  battle  he  must  win  his  spurs." 

5.  After  fighting  till  the  close  of  evening,  the  French  army  were 
completely  discomfited.     The  king  fled,  accompanied  by  only  five 

LXXX. — 2.  How  did  the  battle  of  Cressy  commence  ?  In  what  was  the  better  disci- 
pline of  the  English  shown?     3,4.  Wh^t  occprred   in    relation  to  the   Black    Prince? 


SIEGE   OF   CALAIS. — 1346.  143 

knights  and  sixty  men-at-arms,  leaving  dead,  on  that  bloody  field, 
two  kings,  eleven  high  princes,  eighty  knights  banneret,  twelve 
hundred  knights,  and  nearly  forty  thousand  private  soldiers. 

6.  The  most  remarkable  death  among  so  many  princes  was  that 
of  John,  King  of  Bohemia,  who  was  blind  with  age,  and  not  well 
qualified  to  mix  in  the  fight.  When  all  seemed  lost,  the  old  man 
inquired  for  his  son  Charles,  who  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  having  in 
fact  been  compelled  to  fly  from  the  field. 

7.  The  father,  getting  no  intelligence  of  his  son,  said  to  the 
knights  who  attended  him,  "  Sirs,  ye  are  my  good  knights  and  liege- 
men ;  will  ye  conduct  me  so  far  into  the  battle  that  I  may  strike 
one  good  stroke  with  my  sword  ?"  Four  of  his  faithful  attendants 
determined  to  gratify  this  wish,  which  despair  had  dictated. 

8.  Tying  the  king's  bridle-reins  to  their  own,  they  rushed  into 
the  middle  of  the  fight,  where  they  soon  met  the  death  which  their 
n'laster  seemed  to  court.  The  crest  of  the  old  king  was  three  ostrich 
feathers,  with  the  motto  Ich  dien,  which  means,  I  serve.  This  was 
adopted  by  the  Black  Prince,  in  commemoration  of  this  victory, 
and  has  been  borne  by  the  princes  of  Wales  ever  since. 

9.  It  was  very  desirable  to  Edward  to  possess  some  sea-port  on 
the  coast  of  France,  through  which  he  might  be  able  at  any  time  to 
introduce  troops  into  that  country ;  and  securing  to  himself  a  place 
of  retreat,  in  case  that  should  at  any  time  be  necessary.  The  city 
of  Calais  was  just  what  he  wanted,  being,  as  may  be  seen  on  the 
map,  the  nearest  to  England  of  any  port  in  France. 

10.  It  was  likewise  a  very  strong  fortress,  and  easily  defended,  if 
the  possessors  had  a  fleet  strong  enough  to  keep  open  the  access  to 
it  by  sea.  A  more  favorable  opportunity  could  never  occur  to 
Edward  for  accomplishing  his  desire,  since  it  must  be  a  long  time 
before  Philip  could  assemble  a  new  army. 

11.  From  the  field  of  Cressy,  therefore,  Edward  proceeded  to 
Calais,  which  was  too  sti-ongly  fortified  to  be  reduced  by  anything 
but  famine.  He  stationed  his  fleet  directly  opposite  the  harbor,  and 
built  huts  for  his  troops  all  around  the  town.  He  then  waited 
patiently  the  result. 

12.  John  de  Vienne,  the  governor  of  Calais,  was  a  gallant  knight, 
and  resolved  not  to  yield,  so  long  as  life  could  be  sustained,  in  the 
hope  that  Edward's  patience  would  be  tired  out,  and  that  he  would 
abandon  the  siege.  After  this  had  lasted  eleven  months,  the  garri- 
son were  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  eating  horses,  cats  and  dogs. 
When  these  failed,  John  de  Vienne  found  himself  obliged  to  surrender. 

13.  After  much  hesitation,  Edward  agreed  that  on  condition  that 
six  of  their  principal  citizens  should  come  to  him  barefooted,  with 
ropes  about  their  necks,  all  ready  for  execution,  and  bring  him  the 
keys  of  the  town,  he  would  spare  the  lives  of  the  rest.  The  people 
of  Calais  were  greatly  distressed  when  they  heard  these  cruel 
terms. 

5.  What  was  the  result  uf  the  battle?  What  was  the  French  loss?  6,  7,  8.  Relate  the 
death  of  the  King  of  Bohenna.  What  were  his  crest  and  motto  ?  By  whom  is  this  creat  now 
borne?  9,  10.  What  is  said  of  Calais?  11.  What  means  did  Edward  adopt  to  take  it? 
12.  Who  was  the  governor?     IIow  long  did  the  siege  last?    13.  What  terms  did  Edward 


144  KNKJHTS    OF    THE   GARTER. 1849. 

14.  Whilst  they  were  deliberating  (;n  wliat  was  to  be  done,  Eus- 
tace de  St.  Pierre,  one  of  the  richest  merchants  of  the  town,  offered 
himself  as  the  first  of  the  six  victims.  His  example  inspired  five 
others  with  equal  courage,  and,  after  a  sorrowful  parting  with  their 
friends,  they  appeared  before  Edward,  who  ordered  them  at  once  to 
be  executed. 

15.  It  was  in  vain  that  the  Black  Prince  and  the  nobles  inter- 
ceded for  these  victims:  the  king  remained  inexorable.  At  length 
Queen  Philippa,  who  had  just  arrived  from  England,  where  she 
had,  at  the  head  of  the  English  troops,  just  gained  a  great  victory 
over  the  Scots,  and  taken  King  David  prisoner,  threw  herself  on 
her  knees  before  the  king,  and  besought  him,  as  a  reward  for  the 
service  she  had  done  him,  that  he  would  pardon  them. 

16.  The  king  yielded  to  her  solicitations,  and  she  had  them  con- 
ducted to  her  tent,  where  she  entertained  them  honorably,  and  sent 
them  back  to  the  town,  loaded  with  presents.  Edward  took  posses- 
sion of  Calais,  August  4th,  1347,  and,  turning  out  all  the  old  inhab- 
itants, peopled  it  entirely  with  his  own  subjects. 


CHAPTER    LXXXI. 

The  Knights  of  the  Oarfer. — Strange  Fancy  of  some  young  Knights. — 
Origin  of  the  Charter- House  School. 

1.  The  successes  of  Edward  in  France  were  checked  by  the 
appearance  of  a  terrible  pestilence,  which  raged  throughout  Europe 
for  six  years,  and  was  so  terrible  as  to  be  called  the  Black  Death. 
We  may  take  advantage  of  this  pause  to  suspend  our  account  of 
battle  and  bloodshed,  and  to  say  something  of  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  this  age. 

2.  Edward  III.,  as  we  may  readily  conceive,  from  his  conduct 
towards  his  son  in  the  battle  of  Cressy,  had  a  great  deal  of  the  chiv- 
alric  spirit.  He  sought  to  inspire  his  subjects  with  the  like  feeling. 
With  this  view,  he  held  several  pompous  tournaments,  and  loaded 
such  as  excelled  in  these  martial  sports  with  honors  and  rewards. 

3.  With  the  same  view,  he  instituted,  in  the  year  1349,  an  order 
of  knights,  called  Knights  of  the  Garter.  There  is  a  common  story, 
but  it  is  not  supported  by  authority,  that  at  a  court  ball  the  Count- 
ess of  Salisbury  dropped  her  garter.  The  king,  seeing  the  lady's 
confusion^  good-naturedly  took  up  the  garter,  and  bound  it  round 
his  own  leg,  saying,  "  Hani  soit  qui  mat  ypen^e"  which  means,  "  Evil 
to  him  who  evil  thinks." 

4.  It  was  in  memorial  of  this  event,  as  the  story  proceeds,  that 

grant  on  its  surrender?     14.  Who  was  the  first  to  offer  his  life  for  his  fellow-citizens ? 
15, 16.  What'l>ecame  of  the  six  victims?     "When  did  Edward  take  possession  of  Calais? 

tXXXI. — 1.  What  checked  Edward's  war  in  France  ?  2.  What  did  Edward  do  to  en- 
com-age  a  martial  spirit?  3.  What  is  the  common  stoi'y  of  the  origin  of  the  Knights  of 
fhe  Garter?    4.  What  other  origin  is  assigned  to  it?    5.  What  is  said  of  this  order? 


I 


ORIGIN   OF   THE   CHARTER-HOUSE  SCHOOL. — 1341.       145 

the  order  of  the  Garter  was  instituted,  and  the  above  words  adopted 
as  the  motto.  But  a  much  more  honorable,  if  less  gallant  origin,  is 
generally  assigned  to  it.  It  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  Eichard 
I.,  who  gave  a  leathern  strap  to  gird  around  the  knee,  as  a  distinction 
to  some  of  the  brave  knights  who  fought  with  him  in  Palestine. 

5.  Edward  limited  the  number  of  knights  to  twenty-five,  of  whom 
the  Black  Prince  was  the  first  named,  and  the  others  were  the  most 
distinguished  of  his  generals.  The  number  of  the  knights  has  never 
been  increased,  and  none  but  nobles  of  the  highest  rank  and  greatest 
distinction  have  ever  been  admitted  to  it.  There  are  orders  of  kniglit- 
hood  in  every  kingdom,  but  this  is  esteemed  the  most  honorable  in  the 
world.  The  knights  have  sometimes  been  called  Knights  of  St.  George. 

6.  There  is  a  peculiar  dress  worn  by  the  knights  on  state  occa- 
sions, but  the  particular  badges  are  the  garter  of  blue  velvet  worn 
on  the  left  leg,  just  below  the  knee,  and  a  golden  medal,  bearing  an 
image  of  St.  George,  sitting  on  horseback,  with  the  dragon  under 
the  horse's  feet:  this  medal  is  suspended  to  a  blue  ribbon  worn  over 
the  left  shoulder,  and  passing  under  the  right  arm.  A  star  of  silver 
and  gold,  with  the  red  cross  of  St.  George  upon  it,  is  worn  upon  the 
left  breast  of  the  outside  garment. 

7.  The  color  of  the  garter  and  ribbon  was  originally  sky  blue, 
but  was  changed  for  a  deep  blue  by  Charles  II.,  in  compliment  to 
an  Italian  lady,  the  Duchess  of  Mazarine,  w4io  visited  England 
during  his  reign ;  this  kind  of  blue  bejng  her  favorite  color,  and 
from  whom  it  derived  its  name  of  Mazarine  Blue, 

8.  These  incidents  of  history  will  enable  us  better  to  understand 
the  allusions  which  are  frequently  made  to  "stars,"  "garters,"  and 
"blue  ribbons,"  in  English  writings;  for  these  terms  are  frequently 
used  to  denote  any  honors  wliich  a  nobleman  may  be  supposed  to 
iispire  to,  and  which  the  sovereign  can  bestow. 

9.  The  young  knights  of  ancient  times  sometimes  took  strange 
whims  into  their  heads.  A  number  of  these,  who  accompanied  Ed- 
ward in  an  expedition  into  France,  put  a  black  patch  over  one  eye, 
each  one  making  a  vow  not  to  take  it  ofi"  till  he  had  performed  some 
brave  action.  One  of  these,  named  Walter  Maury,  proved  a  very 
beneficent  knight,  as  well  as  a  very  valiant  one. 

10.  Amongst  other  things,  he  founded  a  monastery  called  the 
Chartreuse.  At  the  reformation  of  religion  in  England,  this  be- 
came private  property,  and  was  soon  afterwards  purchased  by  a 
rich  merchant,  named  Sutton,  who  established  a  public  school  and 
hospital  there,  furnishing  them  with  funds  for  their  perpetual 
maintenance.  This  is  the  origin  of  the  Charter-House  /School,  an 
institution  which  still  exists,  the  name  being  a  corruption  of  that  of 
the  old  monks. 


6.  What  of  their  dress  aud  badges ?  7.  Whence  the  name  of  Mazarine  Blue?  9.  What 
ridiculous  thing  did  some  young  knights  do  ?  10.  What  was  the  origi  a  (  f  the  Charter 
House  School  ? 


146     DRESS   IN   THE   REIGN   OF    EDWARD    ITI.^ -1;'>27-I:i77. 


») 


CHAPTER  LXXXII. 

The  Dress  of  fashionable  Men  and  Women  in  the  Beign  of  Ed- 
ward II L 

1.  The  dress  of  a  fine  gentleman  of  the  age  of  Edward  III.  would 
strike  us  as  rather  fantastic.  He  wore  long  pointed  slioes^  fastened 
U>  his  knees  by  gold  or  silver  chains;  a  stocking  of  one  color  on  one 
leg,  and  one  of  another  color  on  the  other;  short  breeches  which  did 
ijtot  reach  to  the  middle  of  his  thighs;  a  coat^  one  half  white,  and 
the  other  half  blue  or  black;  a  long  beard;  a  silk  hood  buttoned 
under  his  chin,  embroidered  with  grotesque-figures  of  animals. 

2.  The  fashionable  females  are  thus  described  by  an  old  writer : 
"  The  tournaments  are  attended  by  many  ladies  of  the  first  rank  and 
greatest  beauty,  dressed  in  party-colored  tunics.  Tlieir  tippets  are 
very  short,  their  caps  remarkably  small,  and  wrapped  about  their 
heads  with  cords ;  their  girdles  are  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver, 
and  they  wear  short  swords,  like  daggers,  hanging  across  their 
breasts." 

3.  An  old  German  writer  tells  us  of  the  English,  "that  they  are 
very  fond  of  noises,  such  as  the  ringing  of  bells,  and  the  beating  of 
drums."  Indeed,  all  the  diversions  of  the  English  were  of  a  very 
noisy  character.  When  a  nobleman  opened  his  castle  to  his  guests,  on 
occasions  of  public  festivity,  the  halls  and  courts  were  crowded  with 
minstrels,  mimics,  jugglers,  and  tumblers ;  and  there  was  a  strange 
confusion  of  feasting,  drinking,  dancing,  singing,  and  tumbling. 

4.  There  were  at  that  time  no  such  things  as  theatres  or  play- 
houses. The  jugglers  and  tumblers  used  to  travel  about  the  country, 
and  when  they  were  not  invited  into  private  houses,  they  exhibited 
their  tricks  in  carts  in  the  open  streets.  The  streets  seem  to  have 
been  scenes  of  great  gayety ;  for  we  are  told  that  the  servants  of  the 
citizens  of  London  used  in  summer  evenings  to  dance  in  the  streets 
before  their  masters'  doors. 

5.  They  were  in  no  danger  from  the  carriages,  for  such  things 
were  not  in  use.  The  usual  way  for  ladies,  as  well  as  gentlemen,  "  to 
go  about,"  was  on  horseback,  both  sexes  sitting  alike,  astride  the 
horse;  side-saddles  not  being  invented  till  the  next  reign.  Queens, 
and  persons  of  high  rank,  were  occasionally  conveyed  on  horse 
litters ;  these  were  like  a  bedstead,  fastened  by  shafts  before  and 
behind  to  two  horses;  something  in  the  manner  in  which  hand- 
barrows  are  carried  by  men. 

6.  Over  the  litter  there  was  a  canopy  held,  supported  on  four  lon^ 
poles,  each  pole  carried  by  a  man  on  foot;  so  that  this  saode  of 
travelling  was  not  a  very  expeditious  one.  The  lord-m«yor  and 
aldermen  of  London,  on  occasion  of  an  annual  merrymaking  in  the 
country,  used  to  go  on  horseback,  while  their  wives  went  in  wagons. 

LXXXII. — 1.  Describe  the  dress  of  a  gentleman  of  Edward  III.'s  time.  2.  What  of 
the   ladies?      3.  What   of  the   diversions   of  the   English?      4.  What   of  stage   plays' 


BATTLE   OP   POICTIERS. — 1366. 


147 


7.  The  ardor  for  study  in  this  reign  was  very  great,  fv'.r  we  are 
informed  that  there  were  30,000  students  at  Oxford  i  lone.  But 
very  little  attention  was  paid  to  useful  sciences.  Of  the  ignorance 
in  geography,  we  may  judge  from  this  story.  In  1344,  Pope  Clem- 
ent VI.  qreated  Louis  of  Spain  Prince  of  the  Fortunate  Isles,  mean- 
ing the  Canaries,  then  newly  discovered. 

8.  The  English  ambassador  at  Rome,  and  his  retinue,  were 
seized  with  an  alarm  that  Louis  had  been  created  King  of  Eng- 
land, and  they  immediately  hurried  home,  in  order  to  convey  this 
important  intelligence. 


.  CHAPTER  LXXXIII. 

Battle  of  Foictiers, — King  John  of  France  taken  Prisoner. — Generous 

Cond^ict  of  the  Black  Prince. 


EDWARD,  THE  BLACK  PRINCE,  WAITING  UPON  KING  JOHN. 

1.  The  animosity  between  the  French  and  English  was  so  in- 
tense, that  not  even  the  dreadful  pestilence  could  for  any  length  of 
time  prevent  its  breaking  out  into  open  hostilities,  and  in  1352  the 
war  was  renewed,  Philip  de  Valois  having  been  succeeded  in  1350 
by  his  son  John. 

2.  For  four  years  the  contest  went  on  without  any  very  distin- 
guished action  on  either  side,  the  English,  however,  gradually  ex- 


6.  What  yvijs  the  usual  mode  of  conveyance?    7,  8    What  instance  of  the  ignorance  of 
geography  ? 

LXXXIII. — 1.  When  was  the  war  with  France  renewed?     Who  reigned  in  Franc* 
2.  When  was  the  battle  of  Poictiers  fought?    3    What  were  the  forces  on  each  side 


148      KING   JOHN    OF    FRANCE    TAKEN    PRISONER. 1356. 

tending  their  territories  in  France.  At  length,  on  the  19th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1356,  a  battle  was  fought  at  Poictiers,  which  had  a  most 
decisive  eiTect  on  the  condition  of  France. 

3.  On  the  17th  of  that  month,  the  Black  Prince,  who,  through 
the  whole  war,  had  distinguished  himself  by  his  valor  and  discre- 
tion, encamped  with  an  army  of  12,000  men  near  the  town  of  Poic- 
tiers. The  same  evening,  the  King  of  France,  with  an  army  of 
60,000  men,  encamped  within  a  mile  of  the  prince,  who,  when  he 
saw  the  French  army  advance  thus  unexpectedly  upon  him,  ex- 
claimed, "  God  help  us !  it  only  remains  for  us  to  fight  bravely." 

4.  The  Cardinal  of  Perigord,  who  was  with  the  French  army, 
was  very  desirous  to  make  peace,  and  rode  backwards  and  forwards 
several  times  between  John  and  the  prince  with  that  view.  The 
prince  said  to  him,  "Save  my  honor,  and  the  honor  of  my  army, 
and  I  will  readily  listen  to  any  reasonable  conditions."  But  John 
would  consent  to  nothing,  unless  the  prince  and  a  hundred  of  his 
knights  would  surrender  themselves  prisoners  of  war. 

5.  The  reply  of  the  prince  to  this  was,  that  "he  would  never  be 
made  a  prisoner  but  sword  in  hand."  The  cardinal,  finding  his 
endeavors  unavailing,  retired  to  Poictiers,  and  the  two  armies  pre- 
pared themselves  for  battle.  We  shall  not  give  you  a  particular 
account  of  this  engagement;  it  will  be  enough  to  say  that  the  Eng- 
lish gained  a  most  complete  victory. 

6.  King  John,  deserted  by  the  larger  part  of  his  knights,  fought 
bravely  for  his  liberty.  By  his  side  was  his  son  Philip,  scarcely  four- 
teen years  old,  who  did  wonders  in  defence  of  his  father.  The  king, 
wearied,  and  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  might  easily  have  been  slain ; 
but  every  English  gentleman  was  ambitious  of  taking  alive  the  royal 
prisoner,  and  exhortations  to  surrender  were  heard  on  all  sides. 

7.  The  king  still  cried  out,  "  Where  is  my  cousin,  the  Prince  of 
Wales  ?"  and  seemed  unwilling  to  surrender  to  any  person  of  infe- 
rior rank.  But,  being  told  that  the  prince  was  at  a  distance,  he  at 
length  yielded  himself  to  a  French  knight,  named  Morbec,  who  had 
been  obliged  to  fly  his  country  for  murder.  The  young  prince, 
Philip,  who  acquired  the  surname  of  the  Hardy,  from  his  conduct 
in  this  battle,  also  surrendered. 

8.  The  Black  Prince,  who  was  reposing  in  his  tent  after  the  fatigues 
of  the  day,  felt  very  anxious  about  the  fate  of  the  French  king,  and 
sent  the  Earl  of  Warwick  to  bring  him  intelligence.  That  nobleman 
found  the  captive  at  a  fortunate  moment,  for  his  life  was  exposed 
to  more  danger  than  it  had  been  during  the  heat  of  the  action. 

9.  The  prisoner  had  been  taken  by  force  from  Morbec  by  the  Eng- 
lish, and  a  contest  had  arisen  among  the  prince's  followers,  as  to  whom 
the  prisoner  belonged  to.  Some  brutal  soldiers,  rather  than  yield  the 
prize  to  their  rivals,  had  threatened  to  put  him  to  death.  Warwick 
overawed  all  parties,  and,  rescuing  the  king  from  their  turbulence, 
led  him  to  the  prince,  who  received  him  with  every  mark  of  respect 
and  sympathy ;  seeking  by  his  conduct  to  soothe  and  comfort  him. 

4,  Who  ried  to  make  petu^e?  What  prevented  its  being  made?  6.  What  was  th« 
result  a    the  battle?    6,  7,  8.  What  was  the  fate  of  King  John?    9,  10.  How  was  ht 


GENEROUS   CONDUCT   OF   THE   BLACK   PRINCE. 


14S 


10.  Having  ordered  a  magnificent  supper  to  be  prepared,  he 
himself  served  at  table,  as  if  lie  had  been  one  of  the  retinue.  He 
stood  behind  the  king's  chair,  declining  to  sit  down  in  his  presence, 
saying,  "  he  knew  too  well  the  diflference  of  rank  between  a  subject 
and  a  sovereign  prince." 

11.  The  king,  much  affected  by  this  generous  treatment,  so  little 
to  be  expected  from  so  youthful  a  conqueror,  burst  into  tears,  and 
declared  that  though  it  was  his  fate  to  be  a  captive,  he  rejoiced  that 
he  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  most  generous  and  valiant  prince 
alive. 

12.  The  prince,  after  returning  thanks  to  God  for  his  victory, 
praised  his  troops  for  their  conduct,  and  gave  rewards  and  dig- 
nities to  those  who  had  particularly  distinguished  themselves.  On 
the  24th  of  the  following  April,  he  sailed  with  his  royal  prisoners 
to  England.  On  their  approach  to  London,  they  were  met  by  a 
train  of  a  thousand  citizens,  in  their  best  array,  who  conducted 
them  with  great  state  to  Westminster. 


_,  /«. 


'B./P^ 


PRINCE  EDWARD  AND  KING  JOHN 

13.  The  Black  Prince,  in  a  plain  dress,  and  on  a  little  palfrey, 
rode  by  the  side  of  the  King  of  France,  who  was  clad  in  royal 
robes,  and  mounted  on  a  stately  war-horse.  When  they  arrived  at 
Westminster,  King  Edward  met  them,  and  embraced  the  captive 
king  with  every  mark  of  respect  and  affection.  He  and  his  son 
were  sumptuously  lodged,  and  treated  more  like  visitors  than  pris- 
oners, during  the  three  years  they  remained  in  England. 


received  and  treated  by  the  prince?  11.  How  was  the  king  affected  by  this  treatment  I 
12.  When  did  the  prince  return  to  England?  13.  What  is  said  of  the  reception  of  hia 
and  his  prisoners  there  ? 

13* 


I) 


150 


RANSOM   OF   KING   JOHN. — 1860. 


CHAPTEE  LXXXIV. 

Honorable   Cmdwit  of  John,  King  of  France. — Edward  the  Black 
Prince,  and  his  Wife,  the  Fair  Maid  of  Kent,  hold  their  Court  at 
Bordeaux. — The  Prince  becomes  ill,  and  returns  to  England,  and 
dies. — Death  of  Edtvard  III. — The  English  Language  adopted.- 
How  the  King  erected  his  Buildings. 


—rizSujy, 


JOHN  OF  FRANCE. 


1.  Edward  had  now  two  captive  monarchs  in  his  kingdom;  but 
he  soon  after  released  David  Bruce,  who  had  remained  a  prisoner 
eleven  years,  upon  payment  of  a  large  ransom.  After  the  lapse  of 
three  years,  and  many  tedious  negotiations,  a  treaty  for  the  release 
of  John  was  at  length  concluded.  His  ransom  was  fixed  at  three 
millions  of  gold  crowns. 

2.  Edward  accompanied  John  to  Calais,  and  the  two  kings,  with 
many  expressions  of  affection  and  regard,  parted  on  the  24th  of 
October,  1360.  One  of  the  hostages  who  had  been  given  for  the 
payment  of  John's  ransom  having  escaped,  that  monarch,  who  felt 
that  by  this  breach  of  faith  his  own  honor  was  impeached,  returned 
to  England,  where  he  died  in  the  year  1364. 

3.  The  government  of  the  provinces  conquered  in  France  was 
given  to  the  Black  Prince,  who,  with  his  wife,  called  the  Fair  Maid 
of  Kent,  established  his  court  at  Bordeaux.  He  soon  afterwards 
engaged  in  a  war  to  replace  Pedro  on  the  throne  of  Spain,  in  which 
he  was  at  the  time  successful. 


LXXXIV. — ^1.  What  kings  did  Edward   hold  as   prisoners?    2.  When  was  John  re. 
leaned?     Why  did  he  return  to  England?     When  did  he  die?    3.  In  what  new  expedfr 


DEATH   OF   THE   BLACK   PRINCE. 1376.  151 

4.  After  his  return  from  Spain,  the  Black  Prince  became  subject 
to  such  continued  ill  health,  that  it  was  believed  he  had  been  poi- 
soned. His  illness  had  a  most  unhappy  effect  on  his  temper ;  from 
being  the  most  benevolent  and  generous  of  men,  he  became  cruel 
and  morose.  After  some  months  of  constant  suffering,  he  became 
unable  from  weakness  to  mount  his  horse,  and  was  obliged  to  give 
up  the  command  of  the  army. 

5.  From  this  time  the  glory  of  England  declined ;  every  expe- 
dition was  unsuccessful.  These  mortifications,  and  his  continued 
illness,  increased  the  irritability  of  his  mind.  He  returned  to 
England,  as  a  last  hope,  for  the  recovery  of  his  health ;  but,  after 
lingering  some  time,  he  died  on  the  8th  of  June,  1376,  in  the  forty- 
seventh  year  of  his  age. 

6.  His  loss  was  felt  throughout  England,  as  a  private  as  well  as  a 
public  loss.  The  Captal  de  Bucke,  one  of  his  brave  companions, 
was  so  much  afflicted  by  his  death,  that  he  refused  to  take  food,  and 
thus  soon  followed  his  lamented  master. 

7.  The  loss  of  his  son  broke  the  heart  of  the  poor  old  king,  who 
did  not  long  survive  him,  and  died  at  his  palace,  June  1st,  1377,  in 
the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  fifty -first  of  his  reign. 

8.  Edward's  war  with  France  produced  one  important  effect. 
Hitherto,  the  king  and  nobility  had  never  forgotten  their  French 
extraction,  and  the  French  language  had  been  the  language  in 
common  use  by  them.  But  they  had  now  acquired  such  an  an- 
tipathy to  the  French,  that  the  use  of  the  French  language  was 
abolished,  and  it  was  ordered  by  law  that  none  but  the  English 
should  be  employed  in  the  courts  of  law,  and  in  the  public  deeds. 

9.  The  condition  of  the  laboring  classes  in  this  reign  may  be  best 
understood  from  the  manner  in  which  Edward  conducted  the  build- 
ing of  the  magnificent  castle  of  Windsor.  Instead  of  engaging  work- 
men by  contracts  and  wages,  he  ordered  every  county  in  England 
to  send  him  a  certain  number  of  masons,  carpenters,  and  other  artif- 
icers, in  proportion  to  the  number  of  its  inhabitants,  just  as  if  he 
had  been  levying  an  army ;  and  this  command  was  promptly  obeyed. 

TABLE   OF   THE   FAMILY   OF   EDWARD   III. 

WJFE. 
Philippa,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Hainaalt. 

SONS. 

Edward,  the  Black  Prince,  who  died  before  his  father. 

Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence,  who  died  before  his  father,  leaving  a  daughter,  who 

married  ^Edmund  Mortimer,  Earl  of  March. 
John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster. 
Edmund,  Duke  of  York. 
Thomas,  Duke  of  Gloucester. 

tion  did  the  Black  Prince  engage  ?  4,  5.  What  change  took  place  in  the  Black  Prince  ? 
When  did  he  die?  6.  What  was  a  consequence  of  his  death?  7.  When  did  Edward 
III.  die  ?  What  was  his  age?  IIow  long  had  he  reigned?  8,  What  change  was  effected 
in  consequence  of  the  wars  witli  the  French?  9.  What  circumstance  is  given  aa  a 
siH'ciinon  of  the  condition  of  tlic  poojile? 


152 


RICHARD   II.   SUCCEEDS   TO   THE   THRONE. — 1377. 


DAUGHTERS. 

Isabel,  married  to  the  Earl  of  Bedford. 
Joan,  married  to  the  King  of  Castile. 
Mary,  married  to  the  Duke  of  Brittany. 
Margaret,  married  to  the  Earl  of  Pembroke. 

GRANDSONS. 

Richard,  son  of  the  Black  Prince,  who  succeeded  to  the  throne. 

Henry,  son  of  John  of  Gaunt,  afterwards  king,  by  the  name  of  Henry  IV. 

John  Beaufort,  son  of  John  of  Gaunt,  from  whom  was  descended  King  Hejin 

VII. 
Henry  Beaufort,  son  of  John  of  Gaunt,  who  was  Cardinal  of  Winchester. 
Richard,  son  of  Edmund  of  York. 


'f 


CHAPTER    LXXXV. 


r 

4 


Richard  II.  succeeds  to  the  Throne. — Character  of  his  three  Uncles. 
Insurrection  of  the  People  under  Wat  Tyler  and  Jack  Straw. 
About  the  Templars  and  the  Temple. 


"WAT  TYLER  SLAIN. 

1.  Immediately  after  the  death  of  his  grandfather,  the  son  of 
the  Black  Prince  was  proclaimed  king,  by  the  title  of  Richard  II. 
He  was  only  eleven  years  old.  No  regency  was  expressly  appointed, 
but  the  king's  uncles,  the  Dukes  of  Lancaster,  York,  and  Gloucester, 
governed  in  the  king's  name. 

2.  John  of  Gaunt,  the  eldest  of  these,  had  a  high  spirit  and  great 
ambition,  and  even  during  his  father's  lifetime  had  exercised  great 


LXXXV.— 1.  Who  succeeded  Edward  III.?     Who  governed  in  his  name?    2.  What 
was  the  character  of  the  king's  uncles?    3.  What  lu  asure  was  adopted  to  raise  money f 


WAT  Tyler's  insurrection. — i38i  153 

authority  in  the  state.  The  Duke  of  York  was  well  meaiiug,  but 
indolent  and  of  little  ability.  The  Duke*  of  Gloucester  was  turbu- 
lent, bold,  and  meddling;  but  John,  being  the  oldest,  had  the  chief 
Bway  in  their  councils. 

3.  Edward  left  his  grandson  involved  in  wars  both  with  France 
and  Scotland,  to  maintain  which,  a  tax  was  imposed,  in  1381,  upon 
every  person  above  fifteen  years  of  age.  This  tax  excited  great 
discontents  among  the  people,  which  were  raised  to  the  highest 
pitch  by  the  insolent  conduct  of  the  collectors. 

4.  One  of  these  having  insulted  the  daughter  of  a  tyler  at  Dept- 
ford,  named  Walter,  the  father  knocked  down  the  ruffian  with  his 
hammer.  The  mob  applauded  the  action,  and,  exclaiming  that  it 
was  full  time  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  servitude,  and  to  take  vengeance 
on  their  tyrants,  flew  to  arms.  Wat  Tyler,  as  he  is  called,  took  upon 
himself  the  command  of  the  insurgents,  and  sent  messages  into  all 
the  neighboring  counties,  inviting  the  laboring  classes  to  join  them. 

5.  The  summons  was  joyfully  obeyed,  and  quitting  their  employ- 
ments, the  i3eople  hastened  to  Blackheath,  the  appointed  place  of 
meeting,  burning  the  houses  and  plundering  the  estates  of  the 
nobility  as  they  passed.  The  frenzy  of  the  people  was  encouraged 
by  the  declamations  of  a  crazy  priest,  named  John  Ball,  who  went 
about  preaching  to  them  from  such  texts  as  this : 

"When  Adam  delved,  and  Eve  span, 
Who  was  then  the  gentleman  ?" 

6.  The  mob,  when  assembled  at  Blackheath,  amounted  to  at 
least  100,000  men.  Wat  Tyler  and  another  man,  called,  from  his 
business  as  a  thresher,  Jack  Straw,  were  appointed  leaders,  and 
they  all  set  off  like  hounds  in  full  cry  towards  London.  Rushing 
into  the  city,  they  spread  themselves  over  it,  killing  every  gentle- 
man who  came  in  their  way,  and  filling  every  part  with  terror. 

7.  They  were  particularly  furious  against  the  Lombards  and 
Flemings;  and  those  who  could  not  pronounce  the  words  ^^ bread 
and  cheese"  with  a  proper  English  accent,  were  judged  to  be  for- 
eigners, and  had  their  heads  cut  off"  on  the  spot. 

8.  Their  rage  was  also  directed  against  the  lawyers,  and  the  Tem- 
ple, with  all  the  records  that  were  kept  in  it,  was  destroyed.  This 
is  the  name  of  a  building  that  was  once  the  residence  of  the  Knights 
Templars,  an  order  of  monkish  knights,  who  took  upon  themselves 
the  vow  of  never  marrying,  and  observed  other  monastic  rules. 

9.  Instead  of  living  in  monasteries,  and  wearing  cowls,  they  put 
on  armor,  and  devoted  themselves  to  the  protection  of  those  who 
went  on  pilgrimages  to  the  Holy  Land.  About  the  year  1310  the 
order  was  dissolved,  and  Edward  III.  granted  their  house,  which 
from  them  was  called  the  Temple,  to  the  students  of  law,  by  whom 
it  is  still  inhabited. 

How  was  it  received  by  the  people?  4.  What  act  led  immediately  to  the  insni-rection? 
Who  was  made  the  leader?  5.  What  is  said  of  John  Ball?  6.  Where  did  the  mob 
assemble?  Who  were  appointed  leaders?  What  dfd  the  mob  proceed  to  do?  7.  What 
is  said  of  their  treatment  of  foreigners?  8.  What  is  tlie  Temple?  What  is  said  of  th« 
Templars?     9.  By  whom  is  the  Temple  now  occupied' 


154 


WAT   TYLERS    INSURRECTION. — 1381, 


CHAPTER  LXXXVI. 

The  Insurrem  m  is  quelled  by  the  Bravery  of  William  Walworth,  and 
the  Presence  of  Mind  of  Richard  II. 


KICHARD   II.   IN  THE  BARGE. 

1.  The  king's  uncles  were  all  absent  from  the  kingdom,  and  the 
insurrection  was  so  sudden,  that  no  preparations  had  been  made  for 
checking  it.  The  king,  with  his  mother  and  chief  officers  and  a 
small  number  of  the  nobles,  took  refuge  in  the  Tower.  Having  re- 
covered from  the  first  surprise,  a  council  was  held  to  devise  meas- 
ures for  the  general  security. 

2.  Some  were  for  resorting  to  force,  but  more  peaceful  counsels 
prevailed ;  and  it  was  determined  that  a  message  should  be  sent  to 
the  insurgents,  to  say  that  if  they  would  retire  to  a  certain  place 
without  the  city,  the  king  would  meet  them  on  the  next  day,  and 
hear  their  grievances.  Accordingly,  on  the  14th  of  June,  1381, 
Richard,  with  a  few  unarmed  attendants,  proceeded  to  the  appointed 
place,  where  he  found  about  sixty  thousand  persons  assembled. 

3.  The  king,  in  a  gentle  manner,  asked  them  what  they  wanted. 
They  replied,  "they  wanted  the  freedom  of  themselves  and  chil- 
dren." The  king  promised  their  desire  should  be  granted,  and 
that,  if  they  would  return  home,  he  would  give  them  certificates  of 
freedom.  Thirty  clerks  were  instantly  set  to  work  to  write  these 
certificates,  which  were  given  to  all  who  asked  for  them.     Imme- 


LXXX  VI.— 1.  Where  were  the  king  and  his  uncles  at  the  breaking  ont  of  the  insur. 
rection?     2.  What  measure  did  the  king  adopt  to  qnell  it?     3.  What  was  his  success* 


THE   INSURRECTION   QUELLED. — 138L  155 

diately  the  mob  dispersed,  every  one  returning  contentedly  to  his 
home. 

4.  In  the  mean  time  Wat  Tyler,  with  Jack  Straw,  and  the  most 
desperate  of  the  party,  supposing  that  the  proposal  on  the  part  of 
the  king  to  meet  the  people  was  merely  a  stratagem  to  get  them  out 
of  the  city,  and  having  no  expectation  that  he  would  keep  his 
engagement,  instead  of  going  to  the  appointed  place,  proceeded  to 
the  Tower. 

5.  They  met  with  little  resistance  here,  and,  having  gained  admit- 
tance, murdered  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  many  others 
whom  they  found  there.  But  they  were  disappointed  in  their  prin- 
cipal object,  which  was  to  get  possession  of  the  person  of  the  king, 
whom  they  had  invited  to  meet  them.  He  went  on  the  river  in  a 
barge,  but  such  were  the  symptoms  of  violence  that  he  dared  not 
land,  and  turned  back. 

6.  But  the  next  day,  as  Richard,  attended  by  William  Walworth, 
the  Mayor  of  London,  and  about  sixty  horsemen,  was  riding  through 
Smithfield,  he  met  Wat  Tyler,  at  the  head  of  nearly  thirty  thousand 
of  the  insurgents.  Walter,  ordering  his  companions  to  keep  at  a  dis- 
tance, rode  up  to  the  king,  and  conducted  himself  towards  him  with 
such  audacity,  that  Walworth,  Imable  to  endure  his  insolence,  struck 
him  to  the  ground  with  his  sword. 

7.  The  royal  party  would  undoubtedly  have  been  sacrificed  to  the 
fury  of  the  mob,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  extraordinary  presence  of 
mind  of  the  king.  Riding  up  to  the  insurgents  before  they  had  time 
to  recover  from  their  momentary  surprise,  he  cried  out,  "  My  friends, 
be  not  concerned  for  the  loss  of  your  unworthy  leader;  I,  your  king, 
will  be  your  leader !" 

8.  Turning  his  horse,  he  rode  into  the  open  field  at  the  head  of 
the  multitude,  who  followed  him  without  knowing  why.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  cry  had  risen  in  the  city,  that  the  king  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  and  instantly  some  thousands  of  brave 
men  flew  to  his  rescue. 

9.  When  they  appeared,  the  mob,  seized  with  a  panic,  fell  on 
their  knees  before  the  king,  imploring  his  pardon,  which  he  granted 
them,  on  condition  that  they  dispersed  and  returned  to  their  homes. 
This  they  all  did ;  and  tlms  this  insurrection,  which  appeared  to  be 
so  formidable,  melted  away  like  snow  in  a  sudden  thaw. 

4,  5.  Wha^t  did  Wat  Tyler  a    1  his  associates  do?    6,  7,  8,  9.  Relate  the  particulars  of  the 
ileath  of  Walter,  and  of  the   Uspersion  of  the  m  >b. 


166 


CHARACTER   OF   RICHARD   II. — 1381. 


OHAPTEE  LXXXVII. 
Character  of  Richard  II. — About  Chaucer  and  Robert  Langland 


CHAUCER. 

1.  Kichard's  conduct  during  this  disturbance  naturally  led  hia 
subjects  to  hope  that  he  had  inherited  the  courage  and  vigor  of  mind 
of  the  most  distinguished  of  his  ancestors.  But  the  hope  was  not 
realized.  As  he  advanced  in  age,  he  discovered  a  weakness  and 
frivolity  which  made  him  totally  unfit  for  the  government  of  a  king- 
dom. His  person  was  extraordinarily  beautiful.  He  hated  business, 
and  devoted  himself  to  amusement.  He  was  fond  of  show  and  mag- 
nificence ;  his  household  consisted  of  ten  thousand  persons ;  he  had 
three  hundred  in  his  kitchen  alone. 

2.  One  of  the  first  acts,  after  quiet  was  restored,  was  to  revoke 
all  the  certificates  of  freedom  which  had  been  given,  and  to  compel 
all  those  to  whom  they  had  been  granted,  to  return  to  their  state 
of  ser-^tude,  and  to  perform  all  their  accustomed  services  to  thei'* 
lords. 

3.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  Richard  married  Anne  of  Bohemia,  who 
was  long  remembered  in  England  by  the  name  of  the  good  Queen 
Anne.  The  Duke  of  Lancaster  had  some  claims,  in  right  of  his  wife, 
to  the  throne  of  Castile,  and  in  1386,  he  sailed  for  Spain  with  an 
army  of  twenty  thousand  men  to  prosecute  these.  He  remained  there 

LXXXVII.— 1.  What  is  8«>id  of  the  character  and  person  of  Richard?  2.  What  was 
one  of  liis   first  acts  after    he  restoration  of  quiet?    3.  Whom   did   Ricliard   marry! 


THE  POETS  CHAUCER  AND  LANGLAND.  r-1380-1440.   157 

three  years,  and  the  dispute  was  finally  settled  I  y  the  marriage  of 
his  daughter  with  the  son  of  the  reigning  King  o "  Castile. 

4.  Lancaster's  eldest  daughter  had  married  the  King  of  Portugal, 
and  his  once  turbulent  ambition  seemed  quite  satisfied  with  securing 
to  his  posterity  the  crowns  of  two  kingdoms,  for  after  his  return  to 
England  he  led  a  private  life.  In  1394  he  married  Catherine  Swyn- 
ford,  who  had  been  governess  to  his  daughters,  and  who  was  the 
sister  of  Chaucer,  who  is  sometimes  called  the  Father-  of  English 
Poetry,  because  he  was  the  first  English  poet  of  eminence. 

5.  He  was  born  in  1368,  and  having  a  distaste  for  the  profession 
of  the  law,  for  which  he  was  originally  intended,  obtained  a  place 
at  the  court  of  Edward  III.,  to  whom  he  made  himself  very  agree- 
able, and  from  whom  he  obtained  many  substantial  marks  of  favor. 
Having  adopted  the  religious  opinions  of  Wickliffe,  about  whom 
we  shall  presently  speak,  Chaucer  was  obliged  to  leave  the  king- 
dom, to  avoid  the  anger  of  the  clergy. 

6.  He  was  at  length  enabled  to  return,  and  the  last  years  of  his 
life  were  spent  in  ease  and  plenty.  His  chief  work  is  the  poem 
called  the  Canterbury  Tales.  Few  of  the  modern  poets  have 
equalled  him  in  the  excellence  of  his  descriptions;  but  from  the 
great  changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the  English  language  since 
his  time,  his  poetry  is  often  so  obscure,  that  persons  unaccustomed 
to  the  old  style  of  writing  cannot  understand  it. 

7.  Since  we  have  begun  upon  poetry,  we  may  as  well  mention 
Robert  Langland,  who  lived  about  this  time.  He  wrote  a  very 
severe  satire  against  persons  of  all  professions,  called  the  "  Vision 
of  Piers  Plowman,"  which  is  very  valuable,  for  the  insight  it  gives 
us  into  the  manners  of  the  times. 

8.  It  is  not  in  rhyme,  and  is  written  in  a  very  singular  kind  of 
verse,  which  is  called  alliterative,  and  which  consists  in  having  in  the 
same  line  as  many  words  as  possible  beginning  with  the  same  letter. 
Thus,  speaking  of  the  magnificence  of  a  monkish  dwelling,  he  says, 

"  I  found  there 


A  hall  for  a  high  king,  a  household  to  holden, 
With  broad  boards  abouten,  j^-benched  well  cleiti; 
With  windows  of  glass  wrought  as  a  church, 
And  chambers  with  chimneys,  and  chapels  gay 


CHAPTEE  LXXXVIII. 

Anecdote  illustrating  the  Manners  of  the  Times. 

1.  The  king  was  frequently  engaged   in  wars  with  the  Scots. 
During  one  of  the  expeditions  against  them,  an  incident  occurred, 

What  expedition  did  the  Duke  of  Lancaster  engage  in?  How  did  it  result  ?  4.  What  of 
the  conduct  of  the  duke  after  his  return  from  Spain  ?  5,  6.  Wliat  is  said  of  Chaucer?  7, 
««.  What  of  Robert  Langland  ? 

LXXXVIII.— 2,  3.  Relate  the  circumstances  of  Sir  Ralph  Stafford's  death.    5.  What  v 

14 


158  TIMES   OF   RICHARD   II. — 1377-1400. 

which,  as  it  illustrates  the  manners  of  the  times,  we  will  relate, 
Having  arrived  with  his  forces  at  Beverley,  Eichard  determined  to 
remain  there  for  several  days. 

2.  His  army  was  too  numerous  to  be  lodged  in  the  town,  and 
part  was,  therefore,  dispersed  in  the  neighboring  villages.  A  poor 
German  knight,  who  was  one  of  those  who  were  so  dispersed,  was 
looking  for  a  lodging,  and  trying,  in  very  bad  English,  to  make 
himself  understood.  A  squire,  belonging  to  the  king's  half-brother, 
Sir  John  Holland,  began  to  abuse  the  poor  German,  and  laughed 
at  him. 

3.  An  archer  of  Sir  Ealph  Stafford's  took  up  the  quarrel  of  the 
German,  and  shot  the  squire.  When  Sir  John  Holland  heard  of 
the  death  of  his  follower,  he  made  a  vow  that  he  would  neither  eat 
nor  drink  till  it  was  avenged.  Kiding  furiously  about  the  lanes  in 
search  of  the  German  knight,  the  innocent  cause  of  the  affray,  he 
met  Sir  Ralph  Stafford  in  a  narrow  passage,  and  struck  him  with 
his  sword  as  he  passed. 

4.  The  blow  was  mortal ;  but  Sir  John  rode  on,  without  perhaps 
knowing  that  he  had  killed  him.  The  king  was  very  angry  when 
he  heard  of  Sir  Ralph's  death,  and  would  certainly  have  hanged 
the  murderer,  had  he  not  taken  refuge  in  the  Sanctuary  of  St. 
John  at  Beverley. 

5.  In  those  days,  every  church,  abbey,  or  consecrated  place  was  a 
sanctuary;  and  all  persons  who  had  committed  crimes,  or  were 
otherwise  in  fear  of  their  lives,  might  secure  themselves  from  dan- 
ger by  getting  into  them ;  for  they  were  deemed  so  sacred,  that  to 
force  a  sanctuary,  that  is,  to  take  any  person  out  by  violence  who 
had  sought  refuge  there,  was  thought  a  greater  crime  than  murder 
itself. 

6.  We  remember  a  story  of  a  nobleman  who  had  taken  sanc- 
tuary in  some  abbey  during  the  reign  of  Richard  III.  The  king 
was  on  the  point  of  rushing  in  and  seizing  his  victim,  when  the 
abbot  presented  himself  in  the  gateway,  bearing  the  Holy  Sacra- 
ment in  his  hand,  and  Richard  turned  away,  not  daring  to  violate 
a  sanctuary  so  guarded. 

7.  We  will  now  return  to  Sir  John.  The  Princess  of  Wales,  his 
mother,  was  so  much  distressed  at  her  son's  danger,  that  she  died 
of  grief.  He  was  afterwards  pardoned  by  the  king,  and  received 
into  favor.  Sir  Ralph  Stafford,  the  victim  of  his  lawless  conduct, 
was  a  very  accomplished  young  man,  and  the  only  son  of  an  old 
Lord  Stafford,  who  was  then  with  the  army. 

8.  Lord  Stafford,  as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  from  the  first  burst 
of  grief  at  the  shocking  murder  of  his  son,  went  to  the  king,  and 
told  him  that  as  he  was  on  his  road  to  fight  the  Scots,  he  would  not 
let  his  grief  prevent  him  from  serving  his  country  in  the  hour  of 
need;  "and,"  added  he,  "during  this  expedition  I  shall  not  think 
of  my  affliction :  for  I  like  not  that  the  Scots  be  rejoiced  at  the 
misery  of  the  Earl  of  Stafford." 

said  of  sanctuaries ?     6.  What  anecr'ote  of  Richard  III.'s  respect  for  them?    7,8,9    R« 
late  thp  remainder  of  the  story  of  S'r  John  Holland  and  of  Lord  Stafford. 

/ 

/ 

/ 
/ 


JIICHARD    RESIGNS   TO   A    REGENCY. 1387. 


159 


9.  The  afflicted  old  man  accordingly  accompanied  the  army  into 
Scotland,  and  performed  all  the  duties  of  a  soldier  and  commander, 
as  if  he  had  a  heart  free  from  sorrow ;  but  as  soon  as  the  expedition 
was  ended,  he  went  on  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land,  and  did  not 
iive  to  return. 


CHAPTER    LXXXIX. 

The  King  offends  his  Nobles,  and  is  obliged  to  resign  his  Power  to  a 
Regency,  but  resumes  his  Authority. — Death  of  the  Duke  of  Glou- 
cester, 


KICHAKD  RESIGNING   HIS  CKOWN.  , 

1.  During  the  absence  of  the  Duke  of  Lancaster,  the  king  had 
made  himself  very  unpopular  by  giving  the  principal  offices  of  state 
to  a  set  of  worthless  favorites,  the  chief  of  whom  was  Michael  de  la 
Pole,  the  son  of  a  merchant  of  London. 

2.  A  party  was  formed  against  the  king,  at  the  head  of  which  was 
the  Duke  of  Gloucester.  This  became  powerful  enough  to  compel 
Richard  to  surrender  the  government  of  the  kingdom  to  a  council 
of  regency,  consisting  of  fourteen  noblemen.  Many  of  the  favorites 
were  put  to  death,  and  De  la  Pole,  who  had  been  made  Earl  of  Suf- 
folk, saved  his  life  by  flying  from  the  kingdom. 

3.  Not  content  with  depriving  his  nephew  of  all  power,  Glouces- 
ter determined  to  destroy  every  friend  that  remained  to  him.  Rich- 
ard, though  he  had  assembled  around  him  so  many  vicious  characters, 
had  still  preserved  his  respect  for  Sir  Samuel  Burleigh,  a  good  and 


LXXXIX. — 1.  How  did  Richard  give  oflfence  to  bis  nobles?     Wlio  was  bis  chief  favor- 
ite?     2.  Wbiit    was   tlio   consequence   ol    his   conduct?     3,  4.  What   is  said   about  Sir 


160  TRIAL   BY   COMBAT. — 1397. 

venerable  old  man,  who  had  been  appointed  his  tutor  by  the  Black 
Prince. 

4.  Neither  the  affection  which  that  prince  was  known  to  have  had 
for  him,  nor  his  own  age  and  virtue,  could  preserve  him  from  the 
malice  of  Gloucester,  who  procured  his  condemnation  on  a  pretended 
charge  of  high  treason.  And  though  the  good  Queen  Anne  remained 
on  her  knees  three  hours  before  the  inexorable  Gloucester,  begging 
for  his  life,  he  was  executed  like  a  common  traitor. 

5.  Richard  submitted,  quietly  to  the  tyranny  of  his  uncle  for  about 
a  year  and  a  half,  and  then,  suddenly  rousing  himself  into  action, 
asserted  his  own  right  to  the  sovereign  power.  He  removed  the 
officers  appointed  by  Gloucester,  and  filled  their  places  with  men 
of  ability.  He  acted  with  such  prudence  and  vigor  that  Gloucester 
and  his  party  were  thunderstruck,  and  relinquished  their  authority. 

6.  Richard  now  sought  to  purchase  the  friendship  of  his  uncle  by 
grants  of  immense  value,  but  the  duke  was  not  of  a  character  to 
remain  long  in  a  state  of  quiet.  The  king,  having  information  of 
his  plots,  determined  to  be  beforehand  with  him,  and  caused  him  to 
be  seized  by  surprise  and  carried  to  Calais. 

7.  The  Duke  of  Gloucester  was  accused  of  high  treason,  and  a 
parliament  was  summoned  to  meet  at  Westminster,  September  17th, 
1397,  for  his  trial.  So  many  nobles  came  to  London  to  attend  this, 
that  every  lodging  in  London,  and  for  ten  miles  around,  was  filled. 

8.  When  the  day  of  trial  arrived,  the  Governor  of  Calais  was  sum- 
moned to  bring  his  prisoner;  but,  instead  of  producing  him,  he  sent 
word  that  Gloucester  had  died  in  prison.  The  particulars  of  hi{» 
death  are  not  known,  but  there  is  every  reason  to  ])elieve  that  h^ 
was  murdered  by  the  orders  of  the  king. 


CHAPTER    XC. 


\* 


Trial  by  Combat,  between  the  Dukes  of  Hereford  and  Norfolk. —  Cere 
monies  used  on  that  Occasion. 

1.  Some  of  the  nobles  did  not  hesitate  to  charge  the  king  with  the 
murder  of  Gloucester.  The  Duke  of  Norfolk  one  day  expressed  this 
opinion  in  the  hearing  of  Henry  Bolingbroke,  a  son  of  John  of 
Gaunt,  and  of  course  the  cousin  of  the  king.  Henry  was  highly 
indignant  at  this  charge,  and  made  a  formal  complaint  against  the 
duke  for  speaking  seditious  words. 

2.  It  was  decreed  by  the  lords  in  parliament  that  the  matter  should 
be  decided  by  a  personal  combat  between  the  accuser  and  the  accused ; 
a  common  mode  of  deciding  doubtful  questions  of  law  or  of  fact,  as  we 


Samuel  Burleigh?  5.  How  long  did  Richard  submit  to  the  rule  of  his  uncle?  What 
did  he  do  then  ?  6,  7,  8.  Relate  the  rest  of  the  incidents  of  the  Duke  of  Gloucester's 
life. 

XC. — 1.  What  was  the  ground  of  quarrel  betwoon  the  Dukes  of  Hereford  and  Norfolk 


TRIAL   BY   COMBAT. — lJ97.  161 

have  before  stated.     It  may  interest  the  reader  to  have  a  descrip' 
tion  of  the  ceremonies  used  on  the  occasion. 

3.  The  accuser  first  appeared,  in  full  armor,  with  his  drawn  sword 
in  his  hand,  and  mounted  on  a  white  charger,  with  housings  of  greet 
and  blue  velvet,  on  which  were  embroidered  swans  and  antelopes  of 
gold.  When  he  approached  the  lists,  the  marshal  demanded.  Who  he 
was  ?  To  which  he  answered,  "  I  am  Henry  of  Lancaste^r,  Duke  of 
Hereford,  come  hither  according  to  my  duty,  against  Thomas  Mow- 
bray, Duke  of  Norfolk,  a  false  traitor  to  God,  the  king,  the  country, 
and  me." 

4.  Then,  taking  the  oath  that  his  quarrel  was  just  and  true,  he 
desired  to  enter  the  lists.  This  being  granted  to  him,  he  sheathed  his 
sword,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon  his  forehead,  seized  his  lance, 
which  had  hitherto  been  borne  by  his  squire,  and  passing  the  barrier 
or  entrance  to  the  lists,  alighted  from  his  horse,  and  sat  down  in  a 
chair  of  green  velvet,  placed  at  one  end  of  the  lists. 

5.  He  had  scarce  taken  his  seat,  when  the  king  came  into  the  field, 
with  great  pomp,  attended  by  the  peers,  and  ten  thousand  men-at- 
arms,  to  preserve  order  among  the  spectators.  The  king  being  seated 
in  his  chair  of  state,  a  herald  proclaimed  that  none  but  the  marshals 
should  presume  to  touch  the  lists,  under  pain  of  death. 

6.  Then  another  herald  proclaimed  aloud,  "Behold  here  Henry 
of  Lancaster,  Duke  of  Hereford,  who  has  entered  the  lists  to  make 
good  his  charge  against  Thomas  Mowbray,  Duke  of  Norfolk,  on 
pain  of  being  counted  false  and  recreant." 

7.  The  Duke  of  Norfolk  immediately  appeared  in  arms,  mounted 
upon  a  horse,  with  housings  of  crimson  velvet,  embroidered  with 
lions  of  silver  and  mulberry- trees,  his  armorial  bearings;  and  having 
taken  his  oaths,  entered  the  field,  exclaiming  aloud,  "  God  defend 
the  right !" 

8.  Alighting  from  his  horse,  he  placed  himself  in  a  chair  of  crimson 
velvet,  opposite  to  his  antagonist  at  the  other  end  of  the  lists.  Then 
the  marshal,  having  measured  their  lances,  delivered  one  to  the 
Duke  of  Hereford,  and  sent  a  knight  with  the  other  to  the  Duke  of 
Norfolk ;  he  then  made  proclamation  that  they  should  prepare  for 
the  combat. 

9.  They  immediately  mounted  their  horses,  closed  the  visors  of 
their  helmets,  and  fixed  their  lances  on  their  rests.  The  trumpets 
sounded  the  charge ;  the  Duke  of  Hereford  rushed  forward  with  the 
greatest  violence,  but  before  he  could  reach  his  antagonist,  the  king 
threw  down  his  sceptre,  which  was  a  signal  for  the  heralds  to  inter- 
pose, and  to  stop  the  combat. 

10.  He  ordered  their  lances  to  be  taken  away,  and  banished  the 
Duke  of  Hereford  for  ten  years,  and  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  for  life. 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  ill  judged  than  this  measure,  which 
was  attributed  to  the  king's  cowardice.  In  those  ferocious  times,  per- 
sonal courage  was  considered  the  greatest  virtue  a  monarch  could 
possess,  and  the  want  of  it  exposed  him  to  the  contempt  of  his  sub- 
jects, and  therefore  to  no  little  danger. 


2.  How  was  it  ordered  that  the  dispute. should  be  settled  ?    3, 4, 6, 6, 7, 8.  Give  aii  nccouni 
14* 


162    RESIGNATION   AND    DEATH    OF    RICHARD. 13;^9-1400. 

11.  The  measure  gave  general  dissatisfaction.  There  was  a  feel 
ing  of  disappointment  at  the  loss  of  the  show,  and  of  indignation  at 
the  injustice  done  to  the  parties  themselves.  Henry  of  Lancaster  was 
a  great  favorite  with  the  soldiers;  was  possessed  of  immense  wealth, 
and  related  to  all  the  great  families  of  the  kingdom.  He  was  a  dan- 
gerous subject  to  offend ;  but  still  no  ill  consequences  to  the  king 
might  have  ensued,  but  for  some  new  wrongs  inflicted  upon  him. 


CHAPTEK  XCI. 

Henry  of  Lancaster  returns  to  England  with  an  Army,  and  compels 
Bichard  11.  to  resign  the  Grown. — Death  of  Richard. 

1.  In  1399,  John  of  Gaunt  died,  and  Richard  at  once  seized  on  all 
his  great  estates.  His  son  Henry,  called  Bolingbroke,  from  the  place 
of  his  birth,  was  in  France  when  he  heard  of  this  new  outrage  com- 
mitted against  him.  He  resolved  immediately  to  reclaim  his  rights, 
and  being  assisted  with  ships  and  soldiers  by  the  Duke  of  Brittany, 
he  landed  in  England,  July  4th,  1399. 

2.  The  king  was  at  that  time  in  Ireland,  and  his  uncle,  the  Duke 
of  York,  governed  England  during  his  absence.  It  is  probable  that 
Henry,  when  he  first  landed,  had  no  view  beyond  that  of  getting  back 
his  inheritance;  but  finding  himself  joined  by  some  powerful  noble- 
men, he  soon  began  to  entertain  designs  upon  the  throne  itself. 

3.  The  Duke  of  York  was  preparing,  on  the  king's  part,  to  make 
resistance ;  but  he  too,  being  persuaded  by  Henry  that  he  had  only 
come  to  claim  his  inheritance,  joined  him  with  the  forces  under  his 
command. 

4.  Richard  himself  soon  after  landed  at  Milford  Haven,  and  finding 
that  his  uncle,  instead  of  having  an  army  ready  for  his  service,  had 
gone  over  to  the  party  of  Henry,  retired  with  a  few  friends  to  Con- 
way. After  some  negotiations,  he  imprudently  agreed  to  a  personal 
conference  with  his  cousin  at  Flint  Castle,  to  which  Richard  at  once 
proceeded,  with  his  few  attendants. 

5.  The  next  day  Henry  arrived,  attended  by  his  army.  Richard, 
who  was  watching  on  the  walls  for  his  coming,  went  down  to  meet 
him ;  the  duke,  after  some  ceremony,  entered  the  castle  in  full  armor, 
only  making  bare  his  head  in  compliment  to  the  fallen  king. 

6.  Henry,  having  thus  secured  the  person  of  Richard,  led  him  in 
triumph  to  London.  On  the  road  he  was  subjected  to  many  indignities 
both  from  the  duke  and  from  the  people,  and  on  his  arrival  at  the 
capital  he  was  committed  as  a  prisoner  to  the  Tower. 

of  the  ceremonies  used  on  the  occasion.    9.  How  did  the  matter  end?    10.  What  did  the 
king  do  to  the  parties?     11.  IIow  was  the  measure  received? 

XCI.— 1.  When  did  John  of  Gaunt  die  ?  What  became  of  his  estates  ?  What  did 
Henry  do?  When  did  he  land  in  England?  2.  Where  was  the  king?  By  whom  wag 
[lenry  joinetl  ?    4,  5.  What  becani":'  of  Richard  ?     6.  Ho\>    was  he  treated  by  Ileury  1 


JOHN   WICKLIFFE. 13(0-1384.  163 

7.  Henry  now  openly  declared  his  design  upon  the  crown,  and 
compelled  the  king  to  sign  a  paper  containing  a  resignation  of  it. 
This  paper  was  communicated  to  parliament,  who  gave  it  their  ap- 
proval. Henry  was  unanimously  declared  to  be  the  successor,  and  was 
led  to  the  vacant  throne  by  the  Archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  York. 

8.  Kichard  was  conveyed  to  Pontefract  Castle,  and  there  put  to 
death  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1400,  in  the  thirty-fourth  year  of 
his  age,  and  the  twenty-third  of  his  reign.  He  is  called  the  last 
sovereign  of  the  line  of  Plantagenet;  Henry  and  his  successors  being 
styled  The  Hoiise  of  Lancaster. 

FAMILY   OF   RICHARD  II. 

WIFE. 

Anne  of   Bohemia,  who  died  before  him.     He  was  espoused  to  Isabella  of 

France,  at  the  time  of  his  deposition.     He  left  no  children. 

TABLE  OF  THE  KINGS  OF  THE  LINE  OF  PLANTAGENET.    ■ 

Began  to  reign.  Reigned. 

.  Henry  II.,  grandson  of  Henry  I. 

.  Richard  I.,  Coeur  de  Lion,  son  of  Henrj'  II. 

.  John  Lackland,  son  of  Henry  II. 

.  Henry  III.,  son  of  John. 

.  Edward  I.,"  son  of  Henry  III. 

.  Edward  II.,  son  of  Edward  I. 

.  Edward  III.,  son  of  Edward  II. 

.  Richard  II.,  grandson  of  Edward  III. 


1154  . 

35 

1189  . 

10 

1199  . 

17 

1216  . 

56 

1272  ... 

35 

1307  . 

20 

1327  .  ■ 

50 

1377  .. 

.  22 

CHAPTER  XCII. 

Account  of  John  Wickliffe,  who  attempted  to  produce  a  Reformation  in 

Religion. 

1.  In  the  course  of  our  story  we  have  had  frequent  occasion  to 
speak  of  the  pride  and  luxury  of  the  clergy.  This  was  in  part  the 
consequence  of  the  idle  lives  which  the  liberality  of  a  superstitious 
people  enabled  them  to  lead,  and  in  part  to  the  corrupting  doc- 
trines of  the  established  church. 

2.  John  Wickliffe,  born  about  the  year  1324,  was  the  first  who 
dared  to  protest  openly  against  the  errors  of  the  time.  He  was 
himself  a  priest,  and  had  gained  great  distinction  at  the  University 
of  Oxford,  where  he  was  educated,  by  his  abilities  and  acquire- 
ments, and  more  especially  by  his  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures. 

3.  He  first  became  publicly  known  in  the  latter  part  of  the  reign 
of  Edward  III.,  by  a  controversy  with  the  begging  friars,  an  order 
of  monks,  who,  because  our  Saviour  and  his  apostles  avoided 
worldly  riches  and  honors,  pretended  to  imitate  them  by  going 

7.  What  did  he  compel  the  king  to  do?    What  did  parliament  do?     8.  When  and  where 
did  Richard  die?     What  was  his  age?     How  long  had  he  reigned?    What  line  of  sov 
'^reigns  ended  with  him?     What  were  his  sticcessors  styled? 
XCII.— 2.  When  Avas  John   Wicklifftf   born  ?    3,  -    What  did   he   do  ?     5.  By  whom 


164     WICKLIFFE    J>EFORE   AN    ECCLESIASTICAL   COUNCIL. 

about  begging ;  and  who  seemed  to  think  that  poverty  ana  beggary 
were  the  essence  of  religion. 


JOHN    Wl(  KI  It  J 


4.  Wickliffe  afterwards  attacked  the  corruptions  of  the  monks  in 
general ;  and,  proceeding  by  degrees,  as  his  knowledge  of  the  Scrip- 
tures increased,  he  came  at  last  to  deny  the  authority  of  the  pope,  and 
the  truth  of  many  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

5.  As  he  likewise  denied  the  validity  of  the  claims  of  the  clergy 
to  temporal  authority,  his  doctrines  were  highly  acceptable  to  the 
nobles,  and  he  was  openly  favored  by  John  of  Gaunt,  who,  after 
the  death  of  Edward  III.,  was,  as  we  have  before  stated,  the  most 
powerful  man  in  the  kingdom. 

6.  The  boldness  and  success  with  which  Wickliffe  pursued  this 
work  excited  the  alarm  of  the  churchmen ;  and  he  was  summoned 
to  appear  before  an  ecclesiastical  counsel,  to  answer  for  his  con- 
duct in  publishing  such  heretical  opinions. 

7.  At  the  day  appointed  he  was  conducted  to  St.  Paul's  Church  in 
London,  the  place  where  the  council  met,  by  the  Duke  of  Lancaster, 
and  Sir  Henry  Percy,  the  Earl-Marshal  of  England,  one  of  the  chief 
officers  of  the  crown,  and  attended  by  an  immense  concourse  of  people. 

8.  We  may  well  suppose  that  these  marks  of  respect  and  favor 
were  not  very  pleasing  to  the  clergy,  and  many  angry  words  passed 
between  the  duke  and  the  Bishop  of  London.  At  length  the  nobles 
and  the  clergy  took  their  seats,  whereupon  the  earl-marshal  invited 
Wickliffe  to  sit  down ;  "  for,"  said  he,  "  you  have  much  to  answer, 
and  need  a  convenient  seat." 

9.  The  rest  we  will  give  you  in  the  words  of  an  old  historian . 


vfas  he  favored?     6.  What  did  the  clergy  do?    7,  8,  9,  10.  Relate  what  occurred  at  the 


HENRY    IV. 140U.  165 

"The  Bishop  of  London  told  him  that  it  was  against  all  law  and 
reason,  that  he  who  was  cited  before  a  council  should  sit.  Hereupon, 
contumelious  words  arose  between  the  marshal  and  the  bishop.  The 
duke  takes  the  marshal's  part,  and  sharply  reprehended  the  bishop. 

10.  "The  bishop  returns  the  like  to  the  duke,  who,  in  a  great 
rage,  said  he  would  pull  down  the  pride  of  him,  and  of  all  the  bishops 
in  England.  The  duke  and  the  marshal  standing  thus  stiffly  for 
John  AVickliife,  there  was  nothing  done  against  him  at  that  time." 

11  There  were  a  great  many  proselytes  to  the  doctrines  of  Wick- 
liffe.  These  were  called  Lollards,  a  name  given  them  in  derision, 
the  word  meaning  noisome  weed.  Various  attempts  were  made  to 
root  out  the  noisome  weed  of  the  reformed  faith  in  religion,  and 
even  the  fire  and  fagot  were  used  to  extirpate  it ;  but  without  success. 
It  continued  to  exist  until  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  when  it  was 
decided  by  that  potentate  to  be  a  wholesome  plant,  and  the  Roman 
Catholic  belief  itself  to  be  the  noisome  weed. 

12.  WicklifTe  employed  many  of  the  latter  years  of  his  life  in 
making  a  translation  of  the  Bible  into  English.  This  had  been  done 
before  by  the  Venerable  Bede ;  and  the  old  Saxon  bishop,  Aldhelm, 
in  the  year  706,  translated  the  hook  of  Psalms  into  Saxon  ;  but  when 
the  pope  began  to  rule  the  affairs  of  the  English  church,  none  but 
Latin  Bibles  were  allowed  to  be  used,  and  these  were  to  be  found 
only  in  the  hands  of  the  priests. 

13.  The  people  were  therefore  kept  from  reading  the  Scriptures, 
so  tKat  the  priests  and  monks  might  make  them  believe  what  they 
pleased.  This  work  of  Wiclvliffe,  therefore,  while  it  was  highly 
acceptable  to  the  laity  generally,  was  disapproved  of  by  the  bishops 
and  all  who  were  attached  to  the  established  rules  of  the  church. 

14.  An  attempt  was  made  to  obtain  an  order  from  parliament  for 
the  suppression  of  the  English  translation ;  but  it  was  unsuccessful, 
in  consequence  of  the  warm  remonstrances  of  the  Duke  of  Lancas- 
ter, who  concluded  by  saying,  "  We  will  not  be  the  dregs  of  all,  see- 
ing that  other  nations  have  the  law  of  God,  which  is  the  law  of  our 
faith,  written  in  their  own  language."  Wickliffe  died,  December 
31st,  1384. 


CHAPTER    XCIII. 

Henry  IV.  keeps  the  Throne  in  Defiance  of  the  Eighth  of  Edmund 
Mortimer,  the  true  Heir. — He  puts  down  the  rebellious  Barons. — 
Owen  Glendower. 

1.  The  life  of  Henry  IV.  furnishes  a  striking  example  of  the 
sudden  vicissitudes  to  which  human  life  is  subject.  Within  the 
short  space  of  three  months,  he  had  been  wandering  about  without  a 

:ouucil.    11.  Whence  the  name  Lollard?    12.  How  did  Wickliffe  employ  the  last  yeivri 
of  his  life  ?    13, 14.  What  a   the  use  of  the  Bible  ?     When  did  Wickliffe  die  ? 


^ 


166 


CONSPIRACIES   AND    REBELLIONS. — 1400-1 40;i 


Lome,  an  outcast  from  that  country  of  which  he  was  now  the  st>v 
ereign. 


OWEN   GLiENDOWKR. 

2.  But  his  situation  was  far  from  being  an  enviable  one.  His  life 
was  made  miserable  by  constant  apiDrehensions  of  plots  and  con- 
spiracies, of  which  he  was  really  in  much  danger,  and  the  evil  was 
aggravated  by  his  own  jealous  and  suspicious  temper. 

3.  Even  after  the  abdication  of  Eichard,  he  had  no  legal  title  to 
the  crown,  for  the  undoubted  heir  was  Edmund  Mortimer,  a  descend- 
ant of  Lionel,  Duke  of  Clarence,  the  elder  brother  of  John  of 
Gaunt.  To  secure  himself  from  any  attempts  on  the  part  of  Ed- 
mund, who  was  only  seven  years  old,  to  recover  his  rights,  Henry 
caused  him  to  be  confined  in  Windsor  Castle. 

4.  He  had  possessed  the  throne  only  three  months  when  a  very 
dangerous  conspiracy  was  entered  into  against  him,  by  some  nobles 
attached  to  Richard.  A  man  named  Maudlin  was  dressed  up  to 
personate  him ;  but  a  quarrel  having  arisen  among  the  leaders,  the 
conspiracy  was  soon  and  easily  crushed. 

5.  All  the  nobles  taken  in  arms  were  beheaded ;  a  very  different 
treatment  from  that  which  the  rebellious  barons  received  in  the  reign 
of  King  John,  when  they  were  forgiven  as  often  as  they  offended 
This  difference  of  treatment  shows  the  change  which  had  taken  place 
in  the  relative  power  of  the  king  and  the  barons ;  for  John,  had  he 
dared  to  do  so,  would  have  acted  precisely  as  Henry  did. 

6.  To  secure  himself  from  any  more  attempts  of  this  kind,  Henry 
caused  Richard  to  be  murdered,  as  we  have  already  stated ;  and  to 


XCIII. — 2.  By  \rliat  was  Henry's  quiet  disturl)ed?    3.  Wlio  was  the  true  heir  to  the 


/  BATTLE   OF   SHREWSBURY. 1403.  167 

prevent  any  one  from  pretending  in  future  to  personate  him,  made 
known  the  certainty  of  his  death,  by  causing  his  body  to  be  brought 
to  London,  and  exposed  with  the  face  uncovered  for  three  days. 

7.  A  few  months  afterwards  the  king  had  a  very  narrow  escape. 
One  night  he  perceived,  concealed  in  his  bed,  just  as  he  was  stepping 
into  it,  a  steel  instrument  with  three  sharp  points,  which  would  either 
have  killed  him,  or  wounded  him  severely,  had  he  laid  down  upon  it. 

8.  Besides  his  secret  enemies,  Henry  had  a  very  formidable  open 
foe  in  Owen  Glendower,  a  Welsh  gentleman,  of  great  spirit  and 
courage,  who  proclaimed  himself  Prince  of  Wales,  in  right  of  his 
ancestors,  and  invited  his  countrymen  to  attempt  the  recovery  of 
their  independence. 

9.  They  accordingly  flocked  to  his  standard,  and  Glendower, 
favored  by  the  mountainous  nature  of  his  country,  maintained  him- 
self for  seven  years  against  all  the  efforts  of  Henry  to  subdue  him. 

\\  


CHAPTEK  XCIV. 

Several  Bebellioiis  against  Henry  IV. — All  finally  subdued. — Instance 
of  the  Superstition  of  the  People. 

1.  The  Earl  of  Northumberland  and  his  brother,  the  Earl  of 
Westmoreland,  were  two  of  the  most  powerful  barons  in  England, 
and  it  was  chiefly  by  their  means  that  Henry  had  been  able  to 
ascend  the  throne.  Instead  of  taking  pains  to  secure  their  sup- 
port, he  gave  them  just  occasion  of  offence. 

2.  The  Earl  of  Northumberland  and  his  son,  Henry  Percy,  de- 
feated the  Scots  in  a  battle  fought  at  Homildon  Hill,  and  made 
prisoners  of  Earl  Douglas  and  many  others.-  Immediately  on  hear- 
ing of  this  victory,  Henry  sent  orders  to  the  earl  not  to  admit  any 
of  his  prisoners  to  ransom;  an  interference  with  his  rights  which 
the  Percys  highly  resented. 

3.  By  conferring  together  upon  the  subject,  they  became  more 
and  more  angry;  and  Henry  Percy,  who  was  surnamed  Hotspur j 
from  his  fiery  temper,  urged  on  his  father  and  uncle  till  they  re- 
solved to  dethrone  King  Henry,  thinking  that  they  could  do  this 
with  as  little  difiiculty  as  they  had  found  in  dethroning  Richard. 

4.  Douglas  was  released,  and  engaged  to  assist  them  in  their  en- 
terprise, and  an  invitation  was  also  sent  to  Glendower  to  jein  them 
Douglas  and  Hotspur  were  first  in  the  field,  but  before  they  conl\ 
be  joined  by  Glendower,  King  Henry  was  already  upon  them. 

5.  A  decisive  battle  was  fought  at  Shrewsbury,  July  21st,  1403. 
Henry  commanded  his  forces  in  person,  assisted  by  his  son  Henry. 
The  greatest  bravery  and  skill  were  shown  on  both  sides,  and  the 
event  of  the  contest  was  long  doubtful. 

throne?     5.  What  circumstances  show  the  change  in  the  relative  power  of  the  king  and 
the  barons?     7.  Wliat  danger  did  the  king  escape  ?     8,  9.  What  of  Owen  GlendoweV? 

XCIV.— 2.  How  did  Henry  offend  tVie  Earls  of  Northumberland  and  Westmoreland  ? 
3,4,  What  (lidthair  resentment  lead  them  to  do?     5.  When  and  where  was  the  decisive 


168   SEIZURE    OF   THE    YOUNG    PRINCE   OF   SCOTLAND. 1406. 

6.  The  king  had  caused  several  of  his  attendants  to  wear  armoi 
resembling  his  own,  and  Douglas,  who  ardently  desired  to  engage 
with  him  personally,  sought  him  over  the  field,  and  ^ften  thought 
he  had  fought  with  him  and  slain  him ;  but  he  as  often  found  him- 
self deceived,  and  was  at  last  himself  taken  prisoner.  Hotspur  was 
killed,  and  the  royal  army  remained  masters  of  the  field. 

7.  The  king,  remembering  the  former  services  of  Northumberland, 
and  pitying  the  poor  old  man's  bereaved  condition,  granted  hipi  his 
life,  and  soon  after  restored  to  him  almost  all  his  honors  and  estates. 

8.  Scarcely  was  one  rebellion  quelled  before  another  broke  out,  at 
the  head  of  which  were  Scrope,  Archbishop  of  York,  and  Thomas 
Mowbray,  the  Earl-Marshal  of  England.  Northumberland  had  also 
once  more  taken  up  arms  against  the  king ;  but  before  he  could  join 
his  forces  to  those  of  the  others,  their  followers  were  already  dis- 
persed, and  themselves  in  the  power  of  the  king. 

9.  This  was  effected  by  an  act  of  the  grossest  perfidy  and  false- 
hood on  the  part  of  the  king's  general,  sanctioned  by  himself.  The 
chief  rebels  were  beheaded,  even  Scrope  himself;  which  was  the 
first  instance  in  England  of  a  bishop's  being  punished  with  death. 

10.  The  common  people  looked  upon  this  as  an  act  of  gross  im- 
piety, and  as  the  king  was  soon  after  afilicted  with  a  loathsome 
eruption  in  his  face,  they  considered  it  as  a  direct  punishment  for 
the  offence  against  Heaven. 

11.  Northumberland,  after  several  years  of  exile  and  wandering, 
was  killed  in  a  last  attempt  to  overthrow  the  power  of  Henry. 
The  repeated  ill  success  of  these  rebellions  at  length  subdued  all 
the  king's  enemies.  Even  the  Welsh,  in  despair  of  recovering  their 
independence,  abandoned  Glendower,  who  wandered  about  in  vari- 
ous disguises  during  the  rest  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XCV. 

Henry  seizes  the  young  Prince  of  Scotland,  and  keeps  him  a  Prisoner 
eighteen  years. — Character  of  James  L  of  Scotland, 

1,  It  would  be  thought  very  strange,  at  the  present  day,  if  a  king 
should  seize  upon  the  infant  son  of  another  king,  with  whom  he  was 
at  peace,  as  the  prince  was  passing  on  the  sea  from  his  own  country 
to  another,  and  should  keep  him  a  prisoner  for  a  great  number  of 
rears:  yet  such  a  procedure  was  in  perfect  accordance  with  the 
iaotions  of  justice  held  in  the  time  of  Henry  IV. 

2.  Robert  III.,  King  of  Scotland,  was  a  prince  of  a  very  feeble 
character,  and  the  affairs  of  the  nation  were  ruled  by  his  brother,  the 
Duke  of  Albany,  a  restless  and  ambitious  man,  who  governed  in  a 

battle  fought?    6.  What  expedient  did  Henry  adopt  to  deceive  the  enemy?    What  was 
the  fate  of  several  leaders?    8.  Who  were  engaged  in  the  next  rebellion?    9.  What  was 
the  result  of  it?    What  did  the  common  people  think  of  the  punishment  of  Scrope?     11. 
What  became  of  the  rest  of  the  king's  enemies  ? 
XCV.— 2   What  is  said  of  Robert   ITT.  of  Scotland  ?     What  of  the  Duke  of  Albany? 


ANECDOTE    OF    PRINCE    HENJIY. — 1412.  1G9 

most  arbitiary  manner,  and  even  imprisoned  and  starved  to  death 
the  elder  of  the  king's  two  sons. 

3.  The  youngest  son,  James,  was  then  ten  years  old,  and  the  king, 
being  anxious  to  save  him  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  his  cruel 
uncle,  resolved  to  send  him  into  France,  in  charge  of  the  Earl  of 
Orkney.  They  accordingly  embarked,  and  set  sail;  but  their  ves- 
sel was  taken  by  an  English  ship. 

4.  The  prince  and  his  attendants  were  conveyed  to  Henry,  who, 
on  being  told  by  the  Earl  of  Orkney  that  the  young  prince  was 
going  to  France  to  learn  French,  said,  "  I  understand  French,  and 
therefore  ought  to  be  intrusted  with  his  education."  He  then 
committed  James  and  his  attendants  close  prisoners  to  the  Tower. 

5.  The  poor  old  father  was  thrown  into  such  agonies  of  grief  by 
the  news,  that  he  died  in  three  days.  The  Duke  of  Albany  then 
assumed  the  government  of  Scotland  as  regent,  but  would  do  nothing 
to  procure  the  release  of  James,  who,  by  the  death  of  his  father, 
had  become  king.  It  was  not  until  eighteen  years  afterwards,  at 
the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Albany,  that  James  obtained  his  liberty, 
being  then  ransomed  by  the  people  of  Scotland. 

6.  But  Henry  made  some  amends  for  his  unjust  and  cruel  con- 
duct, by  giving  the  young  prince  the  best  education  the  times 
afforded.  He  excelled  in  tilting,  wrestling,  archery,  and  all  the  ex- 
ercises then  practised  by  young  men  of  rank ;  as  well  as  in  the  more 
refined  studies  of  oratory,  law,  and  the  philosophy  of  those  times. 

7.  He  had  also  an  extraordinary  talent  for  music  and  poetry; 
indeed,  some  say  that  he  was  the  inventor  of  that  sweet  and 
plaintive  style  of  music  which  is  peculiar  to  Scotland.  His  poetry 
is  quite  extraordinary,  considering  the  time  in  which  it  was  writ- 
ten, and  some  of  his  ballads  continue  to  be  popular  to  the  present 
day.  In  one  of  his  poems  he  describes  very  touchingly  his  manner 
of  life  when  he  was  a  prisoner. 

8.  When  restored  to  his  kingdom,  he  proved  the  best  king  that 
ever  sat  on  the  Scottish  throne.  He  made  excellent  laws,  and  re- 
formed many  abuses.  The  name  of  James  I.  of  Scotland  is  still 
held  in  reverence  by  his  countrymen. 


CHAPTER  XCVI. 

Anecdotes  of  Prince  Heiiry. — Death  of  Henry  1 V. 

1 .  Henry  had  now  some  respite  from  his  enemies,  but  he  had 
none  from  the  bitter  reflections  of  his  own  mind,  which  was  a  per- 
petual prey  to  remorse  and  fear.  He  also  suffered  greatly  fmm  ill 
health.     To  add  to  his  unhappiness,  his  son,  the  "  Madcap  Harry," 

3.  Why  did  Robert  wish  to  send  his  son  to  France?     Did  be  reach  there?     4.  What  was 
done  wi til   the  prince  by  Henry?     5.  How  long  did  the  prince  remain  a  prisoner?     6. 
What  amends  did  Henry  make  for  his  conduct?     7.  What  is  said  of  James's  poetry  and 
music  ?    8.  What  of  his  character  as  king? 
XCVI. — 1.  What  is  said  of  the  condition  of  Henry?    2,  3.  Relate  the  story  of  Prince 

15 


170 


DEATH    OF    HENRY    IV. 14i:i 


wlieii  not  engaged  in  war,  in  which  he  displayed  great  courage  anO 
ability,  led  a  most  disorderly  life. 


:!'''fiinn'{;l!!ll!lll.iiti 

PRINCE  HENRY  STRIKING  THE  JUDGE. 

2.  One  of  his  companions  was  arrested  for  a  highway  robbery, 
and  brought  before  the  chief  justice,  Gascoigne,  for  examination; 
the  evidence  was  strong  against  him,  but  the  prince,  who  was  pres- 
ent, required  that  lie  should  be  released.  Gascoigne  refused  to 
comply  with  this  demand;  whereupon  the  prince  became  so  much 
exasperated  as  to  forget  for  the  moment  where  he  was,  and  he 
actually  struck  the  judge  as  he  sat  upon  the  bench. 

3.  The  judge  forthwith  vindicated  the  dignity  of  his  office,  by 
sending  the  prince  to  prison ;  and  he,  at  once  acknowledging  the 
impropriety  of  his  own  conduct,  submitted  to  the  punishment. 
When  this  incident  was  related  to  the  king,  he  exclaimed,  "  Happy 
the  monarch  who  possesses  a  judge  so  resolute  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty,  and  a  son  so  willing  to  submit  to  the  law  V* 

4.  The  king's  health  now  rapidly  failed.  As  his  strength  de- 
clined, his  fears  of  rebellions,  and  of  being  deposed,  increased  even 
to  childish  anxiety ;  he  could  not  sleep  imless  the  crown  itself  was 
laid  upon  his  pillow.  He  became  subject  to  dreadful  fits,  whicli 
would  cause  him  to  fall  down  apparently  dead. 

5.  One  day,  when  he  was  in  one  of  these  fits,  the  prince,  who  be- 
lieve4  liiin  to  he  actually  dead,  took  the  crown  from  his  pillow,  and 
carried  it  away.  When  the  king  came  to  his  senses  he  instantly 
missed  it,  and  sternly  asked  who  had  dared  to  remove  it. 

6.  The  prince  made  a  dutiful  apology,  which  pacified  the  king, 

llenrj' and  the  chief  justice.  4.  What  is  said  of  Henry's  fears?  5,6,7.  Relate  th« 
anecdote  of  the  liing  and  the  prii  -  \  When  did  Henry  die  ?  What  was  his  age  ?  He  w 
tong  liad  he  r<Mgnoil  ? 


I 


PRINCE    HENRY    AND    THE    LOLLARxJ.  171 

who  said,  with  a  sigh,  Alas,  fair  son,  what  right  have  you  to  the 
crown,  when  you  know  your  father  has  none  ?"  "  My  liege,"  an- 
swered the  prince,  "with  your  sword  you  won  it,  and  with  the 
sword  I  will  keep  it." 

7.  "  Well,"  said  the  king,  "do  as  you  please;  I  leave  the  issue  to 
God,  and  hope  he  will  have  mercy  on  my  soul."  Not  long  after- 
wards, on  the  20th  of  March,  1413,  while  he  was  at  church,  he  was 
seized  with  a  fit,  and  soon  expired.  This  happened  in  the  forty- 
seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  the  fourteenth  of  his  reign. 

TABLE  OF  THE  FAMILY  OF  HENRY  IV. 

WIVES. 

Mary  de  Bohun,  daughter  of  an  English  noble. 
Jane,  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  Navarre. 

SONS. 

Henry,  Prince  of  Wales. 

Thomas,  Duke  of  Clarence. 

John,  Duke  of  Bedford,  afterwards  Regent  of  France. 

Humphrey,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  afterwards  Regent  of  England. 

DAUGHTERS.  \ 

Blanche,  who  married  the  Duke  of  Bavaria. 
Philippa,  who  married  the  King  of  Denmark. 

il 

CHAPTER  XCVII. 

/Story  of  Prince  Henry  and  (he  Lollard. — Dress  of  the  Ladies. 

1.  From  the  anecdotes  we  have  already  related,  the  reader  has 
doubtless  formed  an  opinion  of  the  character  of  Prince  Henry ;  but 
we  may  mention  another,  illustrative  of  a  different  trait.  We  must 
first  state,  however,  that  the  Lollards  were  subjected  to  grievous  inflic- 
tions in  the  reign  of  Henry  IV. 

2.  Arundel,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was  the  chief  persecutor, 
and  caused  many  of  them  to  be  put  to  death.-  One  of  these,  named 
Badby,  was  sentenced  to  be  burned  at  Smithfield.  He  was  accord- 
ingly tied  to  a  stake,  and  fagots  were  piled  around  him. 

3.  Just  as  they  were  about  to  set  fire  to  these,  the  prince  rode  up 
to  him,  and  besought  him  to  renounce  his  opinions,  and  save  his  life, 
promising  to  provide  him  with  the  means  of  living  comfortably,  if  he 
would  do  so. 

4.  The  poor  man  thanked  the  prince  with  many  expressions  of 
gratitude,  but  said  that,  as  he  firmly  believed  his  opinions  to  be  true, 
he  would  not  sacrifice  his  conscience  to  save  his  life. 

5.  The  prince  had  no  power  to  protect  him  from  the  fury  of  the 
churchmen  upon  any  other  terms.   When  the  fagots  were,  therefore, 

XCVII.— 1,  2,  3,  4,  5.  Relate  the  story  of  Prince  Henry  and  the  Lollard.    6,  7    WUt  ia 


172  HENRY   V. 1410. 

set  on  fire,  he  came  again,  and  entreated  the  sufferer  to  recant;  but 
he  continued  steadfast  as  before,  and  was  accordingly  burned  to  death. 

6.  As  a  relief  to  this  horrible  story,  we  may  now  give  a  few  details 
of  a  different  character.  The  fantastic  dress  of  the  gentlemen  of 
a  preceding  reign  will  be  recollected ;  that  of  the  ladies  now  was  not 
less  extraordinary.  Their  head-dresses  were  the  most  preposterous 
structures  that  can  be  imagined. 

7.  Some  of  them  were  like  steeples,  with  long  streamers  hanging 
down  from  the  top;  others  were  so  immensely  broad, -as  well  as  high, 
that  the  head  appeared  like  a  loaded  wagon.  This  fashion  was  car- 
ried to  such  an  extreme  by  the  Queen  of  France,  that  the  door-ways 
of  some  of  the  royal  palaces  had  to  be  made  wider  and  higher,  that 
she  might  be  able  to  pass  through  them. 

8.  Some  ladies  fastened  two  great  projecting  towers  of  rolled  lawn 
and  riband  on  their  heads,  which  looked  like  enormous  horns.  The 
rest  of  the  dress  was  not  ungraceful.  The  waist  was  worn  short,  and 
the  petticoat  ver}'  full  and  flowing,  and  adorned  with  broad  borders 
of  fur,  or  with  other  ornaments. 

9.  At  one  time  there  was  a  fashion  of  wearing  immoderately  large 
sleeves,  ending  in  a  pouch,  which  answered  the  purposes  of  a  pocket ; 
but  this  awkward  contrivance  did  not  last  long,  for  in  most  of  the  pic- 
tures of  the  fifteenth  century,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen  are  drawn 
with  bags  hanging  from  the  girdle,  instead  of  tliese  sleeve  pouches. 

10.  The  dresses  of  the  higher  ranks  were  chiefly  made  of  silk  or 
cloth,  with  richly  embroidered  girdles.  The  gentlemen  did  not  wear 
tight  coats,  as  they  do  now ;  but  a  tight  waistcoat,  with  a  loose  robe 
over  it.  On  one  occasion.  Prince  Henry  is  described  as  having  been 
dressed  in  a  blue  satin  robe,  full  of  eyelet-holes,  and  from  each  hole 
hung  the  needle  it  was  worked  with.  The  laborers  and  poor  people 
were  forbidden  to  wear  anything  but  coarse  flannel  or  fustian  clothes, 
with  linen  girdles. 


CHAPTEE  XCVIII. 

Henry  V. — His  good  Qualities  and  great  Popularity. — Persecution  of 
the  Lollards. — Lord  Cobham. 

1.  As  soon  as  Prince  Henry  heard  that  his  father  was  dead,  he  went 
to  his  own  chamber,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  retirement 
and  prayer.  The  next  morning  he  sent  for  the  companions  of  his 
youthful  follies,  and  told  them  that  he  was  now  going  to  lead  an 
altered  life,  and  to  enter  upon  new  and  important  duties. 

2.  At  the  same  time  he  forbade  tbem  to  appear  in  his  presence  till 
they,  like  himself,  should  have  reformed  their  conduct.  He  then  sent 
for  the  wise  ministers  of  his  father  who  had  checked  his  extravagant 
conduct,  and  received  them  with  marks  of  favor  and  confidence, 

Bald  of  the  ladies'  head-dresses?    8,  9.  What  of  the  rest  of  the  dress?    10.  What  was  the 
material  of  the  dress  ? 
XCVIII.— 1.  Wha";  d'd  Prince  Henry  do  when  he  heard  of  his  father'B  death?    2.  How 


INVASION    OF   FRAxVCE. — 1413.  173 

Chief  Justice  Gascoigiie,  who  trembled  to  approach  the  royal  presence, 
met  with  the  praises  he  merited,  instead  of  the  reproaches  he  feared. 

3.  The  young  king  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree  the  qualities 
which  were  most  calculated  to  make  him  a  favorite  with  tl  e  people. 
Even  in  the  midst  of  the  wildest  excesses  he  had  given  proof  of  a 
good  and  feeling  heart.  His  person  was  tall  and  slender,  his  hair 
dark,  and  his  features  exceedingly  beautiful.  His  accession  to  the 
throne  was  received  with  general  joy. 

4.  Henry,  trusting  in  this  his  general  popularity,  set  at  liberty 
Edmund  Mortimer,  Earl  of  March,  who  had  been  kept  in  close  con- 
finement during  the  whole  of  the  preceding  reign.  Mortimer  showed 
his  sense  of  the  king's  kindness  by  discovering  to  him  a  conspiracy 
which  the  nobles  had  entered  into  to  place  him  upon  the  throne. 

5.  He  also  recalled  the  son  of  Hotspur,  and  restored  to  him  all  the 
estates  and  honors  of  his  family.  In  short,  his  conduct  fully  justi- 
fied the  high  opinion  the  nation  had  formed  of  him.  Almost  the 
only  blemish  upon  it  was  his  permitting  the  persecution  of  the  Lol- 
lards, and  here  we  may  suppose  that  he  was  actuated  by  a  mistaken 
zeal  for  what  he  considered  the  true  religion. 

6.  One  of  the  most  distinguished  followers  of  the  new  doctrines 
was  Lord  Cobham.  He  had  formerly  led  a  very  wicked  life ;  but 
from  the  time  that  he  adopted  the  reformed  opinions,  he  had  lived 
a  moral  and  religious  one.  The  king,  thinking  highly  of  him  as  a 
wise  and  virtuous  man,  attempted  to  reason  with  him  on  what  he. 
himself  thought  the  fallacy  of  his  new  opinions. 

7.  Henry,  after  a  long  conversation,  became  so  much  shocked  at 
Cobham's  obstinacy  in  defence  of  his  faith,  that  he  turned  him  over 
to  the  bishops,  who  condemned  him  to  death  as  a  confirmed  heretic. 
He  contrived,  however,  to  escape  from  the  Tower  before  the  day 
appointed  for  his  execution;  but  engaging  afterwards  in  a  plot 
against  the  king,  he  was  seized  and  executed. 


CHAPTER    XCIX. 

Henry  V.  invades  France. — Is  involved  in  many  Dangers,  but  extricates 
himself  by  the  Victory  of  Agincourt. 

1.  Few  of  the  kings  of  England  have  been  able  to  resist  the  temp- 
tation of  making  war  upon  France,  whenever  a  favorable  opportunity 
lias  offered.  At  this  time  that  country  was  torn  in  pieces  by  furious 
factions  among  the  nobles,  and  seemed  to  offer  itself  an  easy  prey 
to  the  invader. 

2.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefqre,  that  the  military  ardor  of  Henry 

did  he  treat  his  late  companions?    How  his  father's  ministers?    3.  What  is  said  of  his 
character  and  pRrsonal  appearance?    4,5.  What  generous  acts  did  lie  do?     6,7.  What 
blemish  upon  his  character?     What  is  said  of  Lord  Cobham  ? 
XCIX.— 1.  What  is  said  of  the  state  of  J^'rance?    2.  What  was  Henry  IV.'s  dying 

15  «■ 


174  INVASION   OF   FRANCE. — 1413. 

induced  him  to  revive  the  claim  to  the  crown  of  that  country,  whict 
had  been  urged  by  Edward  III.  In  making  war,  Henry  likewise 
obeyed  the  dying  injunctions  of  his  father.  He  also  deemed  that 
some  employment  must  be  found  for  the  restless  activity  of  the 
English,  which,  if  not  turned  against  foreign  enemies,  would  cer- 
tainly break  out  in  open  rebellion  against  their  own  king. 

3.  Henry  accordingly  assembled  a  large  fleet  and  army  at  South- 
ampton, and,  crossing  over  to  France,  landed  near  Harfleur,  which 
place  he  took  after  a  vigorous  resistance,  whilst  the  French  princes 
were  contending  among  themselves  as  to  who  should  command  the 
army  assembled  to  oppose  him. 

4.  Henry  soon  began  to  repent  of  his  rash  inroad  into  France. 
The  fatigues  of  the  siege,  the  unusual  heat  of  the  weather,  and  the 
indiscretion  of  the  troops  in  eating  too  much  fruit,  had  so  wasted 
the  English  army,  that  Henry  could  enter  upon  no  further  enter- 

E rises ;  as  he  had  sent  away  the  ships  which  brought  him  over,  he 
ad  no  means  of  reaching  England  but  by  proceeding  first  to  Calais. 

5.  The  whole  distance  lay  through  the  enemy's  country ;  there 
were  strong  towns  to  pass,  and  deep  rivers  to  cross ;  and  an  army  of 
one  hundred  thousand  Frenchmen  was  in  the  field.  The  attempt, 
therefore,  on  the  part  of  Henry,  with  a  force  now  reduced  to  less 
than  twelve  thousand,  appeared  to  be  almost  desperate. 

6.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  departed  from  Harfleur  in  Octo- 
ber, 1415,  proceeding  by  easy  marches,  and  enforcing  the  strictest 
discipline.  He  paid  the  country  people  liberally  for  everything  he 
had  of  them,  and  they  consequently  brought  him  supplies  of  provi- 
sions, in  spite  of  the  orders  they  had  received  to  the  contrary. 

7.  During  the  march  the  king  fared  no  better  than  the  common 
soldier,  and  encouraged  his  men  by  tiie  cheerful  and  friendly  manner 
in  which  he  conversed  with  them.  Thus  they  proceeded  till  the 
24th  of  October,  when,  upon  their  arrival  near  the  town  of  Agincourt, 
they  beheld  the  w^hole  French  army  drawn  up  at  some  distance 
before  them. 

8.  Henry  took  an  attentive  survey  of  the  country  from  a  high 
hill,  and  saw  that  it  was  equally  impossible  to  retreat  or  to  advance. 
He  therefore  immediately  set  about  his  preparations  for  a  battle ; 
for  to  surrender  without  a  blow  never  once  entered  his  mind. 

9.  He  chose  his  position  on  a  small  rising  ground,  surrounded  by 
trees  and  brushwood.  He  then  placed  guards  and  lighted  fires,  and 
the  army,  with  the  exception  of  some  who  passed  in  prayer  what 
they  supposed  would  be  the  last  night  of  their  lives,  retired  to  rest. 
As  some  of  the  nobles  were  conversing  together,  one  of  them  said, 
he  wished  all  the  brave  men,  who  were  then  living  idly  in  England, 
were  there  to  help  them. 

10.  The  king  happened  to  hear  them,  and  cried  out,  "No I  I 
would  not  have  one  more  here.  If  we  are  defeated,  we  are  too 
many ;  but  if  it  please  God  to  give  us  the  victor}^,  as  I  trust  he  will, 
the  smaller  our  number,  the  greater  our  glory." 

advice  to  his  son?  Why  did  he  give  it?  3.  What  did  Henry  V.  do?  4,5.  In  what 
difficulties  was  he  involved?  6.  What  is  said  of  his  conduct  on  the  march?  7.  When 
did  thf^y  arrive  at  Agincourt?    8,  9.  What  did  Henry  do?    10.  What  was  his  speech 


BATTLE    OF    AGINCOURT. 1415. 


175 


11.  Tlie  French  passed  the  night  in  noisy  festivity;  and,  confi- 
dent of  victory  on  the  morrow,  it  was  agreed  among  them  that  all 
the  English  should  be  put  to  the  sword,  excepting  the  king  and  the 
chief  nobility,  who  were  to  be  saved  for  the  sake  of  their  ransoms. 

12.  We  need  not  detain  the  reader  by  giving  the  details  of  the 
battle,  which  took  place  the  next  day.  It  would  be  but  the  story 
of  Cressy  and  Poictiers  over  again.  The  French,  proud  of  their 
own  strength,  and  despising  the  weakness  of  the  enemy,  acted  with 
rashness  and  fool-hardiness,  which  gave  to  their  cautious  and  well- 
disciplined  enemy  a  complete  victory. 


-^-J./^ 


BATTIiE  OF  AGINCOURT. 


13.  The  king  himself  displayed  a  valor  worthy  of  the  Black 
Prince.  Arrayed  in  shining  armor,  with  a  crown  of  gold,  adorned 
with  precious  stones,  on  his  head,  he  was  easily  to  be  distinguished 
in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  Eighteen  French  knights  had  made  a 
vow  to  kill  or  take  the  English  king,  and  they  all  lost  their  lives  in 
attempting  to  fulfil  it. 

14.  They  were  all  slain  by  David  Cam,  the  king's  faithful  squire, 
and  two  other  Welshmen,  who  defended  him  at  the  cost  of  their 
own  lives.  Henry  knighted  them  as  they  lay  bleeding  to  death  at 
his  feet.  One  might  think  it  could  do  the  dying  man  but  little 
good  to  say  to  him,  "  Eise  up.  Sir  David  Cam  I"  but  it  was  the  only 
means  at  that  moment  in  the  king's  power  to  express  his  sense  of 
gratitude  and  regard  for  so  faithful  a  servant. 

15.  The  battle  being  at  an  end,  Henry  called  upon  the  French 
herald,  who  was  named  Mountjoy,  to  declare  to  whom  the  victory 


to  some  of  the  nobles?  11.  How  did  the  Frencli  pass  the  night?  12.  What  of  the  con- 
duct of  the  two  parties?  13.  What  of  the  conduct  of  the  king  in  the  battle?  14.  How 
did  he  reward  his  faithful  sqtiiro?     15.  What  is  the  battle  called?    Where  was  it  fought? 


L7(5  HENRY   AGAIN   INVADES   FRANCE. — 1417. 

belonged ;  and  lie  adjudging  it  to  the  English,  the  king  asked  him  the 
name  of  a  neighboring  castle,  to  which  he  pointed  with  his  finger. 
"  It  is  called  Agincourt,"  replied  the  herald.  "  Then,"  said  the  king, 
"this  action  shall  henceforth  be  called  The  Battle  of  Agincourt." 


/. 


CHAPTER  C. 


Henri/  again  invades  France. — Makes  a  Ti^eaty,  by  which  he  is  consti- 
tuted Regent  of  that  Kingdom,  and  declared  to  be  the  Successor  to  the 
Crown. — His  Death. 

1.  The  victory  of  Agincourt  was  of  little  real  service  to  Henry, 
for  he  was  too  weak  to  take  adyantage  of  the  dismay  of  the  French, 
to  extend  his  conquests  in  their  country.  It  served,  perhaps,  to 
make  the  king's  popularity  at  home  more  firm,  but  at  the  same 
time  it  inspired  him  with  a  love  of  new  conquests. 

2.  With  this  view  he  returned  to  England,  to  procure  a  fresh 
supply  of  men  and  money.  The  people  crowded  to  receive  him, 
and  were  in  such  ecstasies  of  joy,  that  when  he  approached  Dover, 
many  of  them  plunged  into  the  sea  to  meet  his  barge. 

3.  In  August,  1417,  Henry  again  invaded  France  at  the  head  of 
a  considerable  army.  The  quarrels  among  the  nobles  had  left  that 
country  in  a  more  defenceless  state  even  than  before.  No  prepara- 
tions had  been  made  for  opposing  the  progress  of  the  English,  and 
they  marched  forward  into  the  country,  taking  possession  of  all  the 
towns  in  their  way. 

4.  At  last,  when  they  had  conquered  the  whole  of  Normandy,  the 
contending  factions  in  France  began  to  consider,  when  too  late,  what 
was  to  be  done.  An  apparent  reconciliation  took  place  between  the 
parties.  But  this  was  put  an  end  to  by  the  murder  of  the  Duke  of 
Burgundy,  as  it  was  supposed  by  the  instigation  of  the  dauphin,  as 
the  eldest  son  of  the  King  of  France  was  always  called,  as  the  eldest 
son  of  the  King  of  England  is  called  the  Prince  of  Wales. 

5.  Philip,  the  new  Duke  of  Burgundy,  forgetting  every  other 
consideration  in  his  desire  of  vengeance  for  his  father's  death,  en- 
tered into  a  treaty  with  Henry,  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  the 
latter  should  govern  France,  during  the  life  of  the  present  king, 
with  the  title  of  regent,  and  at  his  death  should  succeed  to  the 
crown  in  exclusion  of  the  dauphin ;  thus  France  and  England  were 
to  be  forever  united  in  one  monarchy. 

6.  Charles  VI.,  King  of  France,  whose  title  for  life  was  thus 
respected,  was  a  poor  deranged  man,  and  his  person  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  Burgundians.  They  compelled  him  to  give  his 
assent  to  this  treaty,  which  disinherited  his  own  son,  and  gave  his 
kingdom  to  its  most  bitter  enemies. 

C. — ^1.  What  is  said  of  the  advantages  of  the  victory  at  Agincourt?  2.  How  was 
Henry  received  in  England?  3.  When  did  Henry  again  invade  France?  What  is  said 
of  the  condition  of  France  ?    4.  How  was  the  reconciliation  among  the  French  noblej 


I 


DEATH    OF    HENRY    V. 1422.  177 

7.  lu  fulfilment  of  the  terms  of  the  same  treaty,  Henry  married 
Catharine,  daughter  of  the  French  king.  The  two  kings  with  their 
queens  made  a  triumphant  entry  into  Paris,  in  May,  1420,  where 
the  union  of  the  two  crowns  was  celebrated  with  great  outward  de- 
monstrations of  joy. 

8.  But  the  dauphin  did  not  submit  tamely  to  the  loss  of  his  inher- 
itance. Eetiring  with  a  few  followers  to  a  distant  part  of  France,  he 
assumed  the  title  of  regent,  and  vigorously  defended  the  few  places 
that  still  adhered  to  him. 

9.  In  1422,  Henry  took  the  command  of  the  army  employed 
against  the  dauphin,  but,  being  taken  sick,  was  obliged  to  resign  it  to 
his  brother,  the  Duke  of  Bedford.  He  then  retired  to  Vincennes, 
near  Paris,  where  he  grew  rapidly  worse.  He  soon  felt  himself  to 
be  near  his  end,  and  sent  for  the  Duke  of  Bedford  and  the  Earl  of 
Warwick  to  receive  his  last  directions. 

10.  He  appointed  the  Duke  of  Bedford  Regent  of  France,  and 
the  Duk6^^'  Gloucester  Regent  of  England.  His  infant  son  he  com- 
mitted to  the  care  of  Warwick.  He  also  gave  particular  orders  that 
the  prisoners  taken  at  Agincourt  should  not  be  released  till  this  son, 
then  only  a  few  months  old,  should  be  of  age. 

11.  After  he  had  given  his  final  directions,  he  asked  his  physi- 
cians how  long  they  thought  he  might  live.  And  when  they 
told  him,  "  About  two  hours,"  he  shut  out  from  his  thoughts  every 
earthly  care,  and  spent  his  remaining  moments  in  devotion.  He  died 
August  31st,  1422,  in  the  thirty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  tenth 
of  his  reign. 

12.  His  funeral  procession  was  conducted  with  great  pomp  through 
France,  and  afterwards  from  Dover  to  Westminster,  where  he  was 
buried.  Tapers  were  kept  burning  day  and  night  on  his  tomb  for 
nearly  one  hundred  years,  and  might  be  burning  still  perhaps,  if  such 
customs  had  not  gone  out  of  fashion  at  the  Reformation. 

TABLE  OF  THE  FAMILY  OF  HENRY  V. 

WIFE. 

Catharine  of  France,  married  afterwards  to  Owen  Tudor,  a  Welsh  gentleman, 
who  does  not  appear  to  have  had  anything  to  recommend  him  but  his 
beauty  and  his  fine  dancing. 

SON. 
Henry,  Prince  of  Wales,  who  was  born  December  6,  1421. 


Catharine  had  three  sons  after  she  married  Owen  Tudor;  namely,  Edmund, 

Earl  of  Richmond,  father  of  Henry  Tudor,  afterwards  King  Henry  VII. 
Jasper,  Earl  of  Pembroke. 
Owen. 

defeated?  5.  What  did  the  new  Duke  of  Burgundy  do?  6.  What  is  said  of  the  King 
of  France?  7.  Whom  did  Henry  marry?  9.  What  happened  to  Henry  in  1422?  10, 
What  were  his  last  directions  ?  11.  When  did  he  die  ?  Wliat  was  his  age  ?  What  the 
length  of  his  reign?    12.  What  honors  were  paid  him  after  death? 


178  THE    ENGLISH    IN    THE    FIFTEENTH    CENTURY. 


CHAPTEE  CI. 

Domestic  Habits  of  the  English  in  the  Fifteenth  Century^ 


COSTUMES  OF  THE  FIFTEENTH  CENTURY. 

1.  It  is  time  to  say  something  of  the  domestic  habits  of  the  Eng- 
lish at  this  period  of  history.  The  nobility  no  longer  lived  shut  up  in 
gloomy  castles,  but  began  to  inhabit  large  rambling  houses,  built  of 
timber,  and  covered  with  plaster.  The  outside  wood-work  was  very 
much  carved,  and  the  windows  were  large  and  wide. 

2.  The  principal  apartment  was  the  hall,  which  was  two  or  three 
stories  high,  and  commonly  had  an  entrance  porch.  The  floor  of  the 
upper  end  of  the  hall  was  raised  about  one  foot  higher  than  the  rest, 
and  called  the  dais  ;  here  the  lord  of  the  mansion  was  accustomed 
to  sit  with  his  guests. 

3.  The  lower  part  was  common  to  the  menials  of  the  family,  of 
whom  there  were  in  every  house  a  great  number.  The  furniture  of 
these  halls  was  not  very  sumptuous,  and  usually  consisted  of  only  a 
long  table  fastened  to  the  floor,  three  or  four  wooden  benches  for  the 
gentlemen,  with  some  low  stools  for  the  ladies,  and  perhaps  a  cup- 
board in  the  corner. 

4.  The  most  frequent  decoration  for  the  walls  was  tapestry,  which 
was  hung  on  large  hooks,  and  taken  down  in  summer.     Few  houses 

CI. — 1.  What  change  in  the  place  of  residence  of  the  nobles?  2.  What  was  the 
dais?    3.  How  was   the  hall  furnished*    4.  What  was  the  reredosse?     5,  6.  What  of 


THE    ENGLISH    IN    THE    FIFTEENTH    CENTURY.  17W 

liad  cliiiuneys ;  in  most  the  fire  was  placed  on  a  large  stone  hearth 
in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  called  a  reredosse,  and,  unless  when  a 
hole  in  the  roof  was  made  for  it,  the  smoke  found  its  way  out 
through  the  rafters.  There  was  a  little  ledge  round  the  hearth,  tc 
prevent  the  ashes  and  blazing  sticks  from  falling  about. 

5.  The  entertainments  of  the  nobles  were  conducted  with  much 
I»omp  and  stateliness.  The  lord  of  the  mansion  sat  in  state  at  the 
head  of  the  long,  clumsy,  oaken  board,  and  his  guests  were  seated 
on  each  side,  according  to  their  rank.  The  table  was  loaded  with 
capacious  pewter  dishes  of  venison,  poultry,  wild  fowls,  and  fish^ 
dressed  in  different  fashions ;  roasted  cranes  and  stewed  porpoises 
being  favorite  dishes.  The  tables  w^ere  decorated  with  castles  made 
of  pastry,  and  tigers  of  jelly. 

6.  Ale,  beer,  and  wine  were  plentifully  furnished,  and  handed  to 
the  company  in  pewter  or  wooden  cups.  The  feast  w^as  enlivened 
by  singers,  minstrels,  and  dances.  But  the  entertainment  was  not 
conducted  according  to  our  notions  of  delicacy  and  cleanliness. 
Overhead  were  the  perches  for  hawks,  and  under  foot  the  pavement 
was  crowded  with  dogs,  gnawing  the  bones  that  were  thrown  to  them. 

7.  In  some  houses,  while  the  company  sat  at  one  end  of  the  haH, 
the  servants  dressed  the  dinner  at  the  other  end.  This,  upon  com- 
mon occasions,  was  plain  enough ;  an  enormous  dish  of  salt  fish, 
and  huge  joints  of  beef,  with  a  little  garnish  of  cabbage,  formed  the 
every-day  dinner  of  many  a  noble  baron. 

8.  When  he  and  his  guests  had  eaten  what  they  chose,  the 
serving-men  took  their  share,  and  what  remained  w^as  given  to 
the  poor,  who,  at  the  hour  of  dinner,  stood  in  crowds  about  the 
gates  to  receive  it.  It  had  now  become  the  fashion  in  great  fami- 
lies to  have  four  meals  a  day. 

9.  These  w^ere  the  breakfast  at  seven  o'clock,  dinner  at  ten,  sup- 
per at  four,  and  //verz/ between  eight  and  nine;  the  last  of  these 
was  a  collation  of  cakes  and  mulled  wine,  taken  in  the  bed- 
chamber, just  before  going  to  rest. 


CHAPTER  CII. 


// 


Domestic  Habits  of  the  English  in  the  Fifteenth  Century,  continued.  — 
State  of  Learning. —  Whittington,  Lord  Mayor. 

1.  After  this  description  of  the  furniture  of  the  hall,  we  shall 
not  expect  to  find  that  the  accommodations  for  sleeping  were  very 
comfortable.  A  poor  person  of  the  present  day  would  excite  the 
compassion  of  the  benevolent,  if  he  was  as  meanly  lodged  as  was 
the  richest  nobleman  in  the  reign  of  Henry  V. ;  a  flock  bed  and  ? 

entertainments?    7.  What  of   cooking,  and  dishes?     8,9.  What  were    the  hours   for 
meals  ? 


180 


THE    ENGLISH    IN    THE   FIFTEENTH    CENTURY. 


chaff  bolster  were  then  considered  extraordinary  luxuries;  while 
soft  pillows  were  made  only  for  sick  peoj^le. 

2.  The  beds  of  the  middle  classes  were  straw  pallets,  covered 
with  a  sheet,  and  a  log  of  wood  for  a  bolster,  with  a  blanket  and 
coverlet,  like  those  now  used  for  horse-cloths.  As  for  servants,  it 
was  very  seldom  they  had  any  sheets  at  all  to  keep  the  hard  straw 
from  hurting  them,  and  the  sleeping  in  night-clothes  was  an  ex- 
travagance they  did  not  indulge  in. 

3.  As  field  sports,  such  as  hunting  and  hawking,  were  the  chief 
delight  of  the  nobles,  they  had  no  idea  of  going  to  London  for 
amusement,  as  their  successors  do  now-a-days.  Yet  many  of  them 
had  houses  there,  which  they  occupied  when  they  were  summoned 
thither  by  the  king,  or  attended  parliament,  or  went  there  for  any 
other  public  occasion. 

4.  These  houses  were  called  inns ;  as  "  Derby  Inn,"  or  '*  Furni- 
val's  Inn,"  from  the  names  of  the  owners.  The  common  method 
of  building  houses  in  towns,  was  to  make  every  storj  project  beyond 
the  one  beJow  it :  so  that  in  narrow  streets  the  top  stories  almost  met. 


WHITTINGTON,  LORD  MAYOR. 


5.  Learning  was  very  little  esteemed  at  this  period.  Most  of  the 
valuable  places  in  the  church  were  bestowed  on  illiterate  men  ot 
foreigners,  through  the  papal  influence,  while  the  best  scholars  in 
the  kingdom  were  left  to  languish  in  want  and  obscurity.  These 
were  sometimes  obliged  to  beg  their  bread  from  door  to  door,  with 


CII. — 1,  2.  "What  is  said  of  the  lodging?    3.  What  is  said  of  the  residence  of  th« 
nobles?   -4.  What  was  the  style  of  building  houses?   5.  What  is  said  of  the  state  of  learn 


THE   MAID   OF    ORLEANS. U28.  181 

written  certificates  given  them  by  the  ofiicers  of  the  colleges  in 
which  they  had  studied. 

6.  Two  of  these  learned  beggars  arrived  one  day  at  the  castle  of  a 
nobleman,  and  presented  their  recommendations,  for  charity.  From 
these  he  learned  that  they  had  a  taste  for  poetry,  whereupon  he 
ordered  his  servants  to  take  them  to  a  draw-well,  and,  after  putting 
each  of  them  into  a  bucket,  to  let  them  down  alternately  into  the 
water  till  they  should  make  some  verses  upon  the  buckets. 

7.  After  they  had  endured  this  discipline  for  some  time,  to  the 
great  entertainment  of  the  baron  and  his  company,  they  made  out  to 
compose  some  stanzas,  and  were  set  at  liberty.  There  were  doubt- 
less impostors  among  the  learned  beggars  then,  as  among  the  ship- 
wrecked and  burnt-out  beggars  now ;  and  the  two  we  have  mentioned 
probably  belonged  to  this  class ;  for  such  treatment  would  otherwise 
have  been  very  inconsistent  with  the  hospitality  which  was  so  uni- 
versal at  that  day. 

8.  We  have  all  heard  the  pleasant  story  of  Whittington  and  his 
cat.  As  to  the  cat,  the  historian  cannot  vouch  for  her  existence ; 
but  Whittington  himself  was  a  real  person,  and  was  actually  "  Lord 
Mayor  of  London"  in  the  reign  of  Henrj^  V.  He  was  a  very 
munificent  personage,  and  many  of  the  charitable  institutions 
founded  by  him  exist  to  this  day. 

A 

CHAPTER    CHI. 

Joan  of  Arc,  the  Maid  of  Orleans. 

1.  It  is  not  often  that  history  presents  to  us  three  brothers  of  such 
fine  qualities,  and  such  superior  abilities,  as  Henry  V.  and  the  Dukes 
of  Bedford  and  Gloucester.  The  Duke  of  Bedford  was  the  superior. 
He  equalled  tlic  king  in  valor  and  wisdom,  and  excelled  him  in  the 
excellent  virtues  of  clemency  and  command  of  temper.  Gloucester, 
the  good  Duke  Humphrey,  as  he  was  called,  was  a  man  of  high  prin- 
ciples and  great  integrity. 

2.  The  unfortunate  King  of  France  did  not  long  survive  his  con- 
queror, and  immediately  upon  his  death,  the  dauphin,  Charles  VII., 
assumed  the  title  of  king.  In  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  the  contrary, 
he  was  fast  losing  the  little  territory  he  had  left,  when,  by  one  of 
the  most  extraordinary  circumstances  that  ever  was  recorded  in 
history,  he  was  enabled  to  regain  all  that  his  father  had  lost. 

3.  The  details  of  the  deliverance  of  France  from  the  English  be- 
long more  particularly  to  the  history  of  that  country,  and  you  cannot 
have  forgotten  the  story  of  the  Maid  of  Orleans,  as  I  there  related 
it  to  you.     I  shall  here  repeat  only  the  leading  events  in  her  life. 

4.  Joan  of  Arc  was  a  poor  peasant  girl,  who  served  as  the  hostlei 
at  the  inn  of  a  small  village  in  France.    The  tales  told  by  the  trav- 

ing?     6,  7.  Relate   the  story  of  the  two  learned  beggars.    8.  What  is  said  of  Whit- 
tington ? 
cm.— 1.  What  is  said  of  the  Dnkes  of  Bedford  and  Gloucester?    4.  Who  was  Joan  oi 

16 


182 


THE    MAID    OF    ORLEANS. 1128. 


ellers  wlio  stopped  there,  of  the  cruelties  practised  by  the  English, 
made  a  great  impression  upon  her  excitable  mind ;  and  her  enthu- 
siasm in  behalf  of  her  countrymen  at  last  rose  to  such  a  pitch  as 
to  make  her  believe  that  she  was  appointed  by  God  to  be  their  de- 
liverer. 


JOAN  OF  ARC,  THE  MAID  OF  ORLEANS. 

5.  Orleans  was  the  sole  town  of  importance  remaining  to  Charles 
VII.,  and  this  had  long  been  besieged  by  the  English.  Just  at  the 
moment  when  its  deliverance  seemed  hopeless,  and  the  fortunes  of 
the  French  king  to  be  in  a  desperate  condition,  Joan  presented  her- 
self to  that  monarch,  and  made  known  to  him  what  she  called  her 
divine  commission. 

6.  The  king,  glad  to  avail  himself  of  any  expedient  to  raise  the 
spirits  of  his  countrymen,  accepted  her  offer  of  service.  In  a  com- 
plete suit  of  armor,  and  mounted  on  a  wai'-horse,  which  her  employ- 
ment at  the  inn  had  made  her  expert  in  managing,  she  set  off  with 
a  small  escort  of  soldiers  for  Orleans. 

7.  The  report  of  her  coming  had  gone  before  her,  and  the  English 
troops,  who  believed  her  all  that  she  declared  herself  to  be,  suf- 
fered her  to  pass  through  their  camp  without  opposition,  and  to 
enter  the  city.  A  change  at  once  took  place  in  the  state  of  affairs. 
Taking  the  command  of  the  troops,  she  made  repeated  sallies  upon 
the  besiegers,  who  fled  at  her  approach  without  making  any  resist- 
ance, for  they  believed  that  in  contending  with  her  they  were  fight- 
ing against  Heaven. 

8.  The  English  commander  was  at  length  obliged  to  raise  the 
siege,  and  thus  Joan,  who  henceforth  was  called  the  Maid  of  Or- 


krcJ    What  did  she  believe  herself  appointed  to  do?     5,  6.  7.  Relate  the  events  of  het 


DEATH    OF    THE    MAID    OF    ORLEANS. 1431.  183 

leans,  in  part  redeemed  her  promise.  The  French  now  became  the 
assailants;  many  towns  were  taken,  and  on  every  occasion  the 
Maid  behaved  with  the  courage  of  an  exj)erienced  soldier. 

9.  Next  to  the  relief  of  Orleans,  the  object  which  Joan  had  most 
at  heart  was  that  Charles  should  be  crowned  at  Rheims,  the  usual 
place  of  the  coronation  of  the  kings  of  France.  This  seemed  to  be 
more  difficult  than  her  former  exploits;  for  the  whole  country  in 
the  neighborhood  of  that  city  was  in  the  possession  of  the  enemy. 
Here  again  the  general  superstition  aided  her,  and  she  accom- 
plished her  object. 

10.  The  ceremony  of  the  coronation  being  over,  Joan  announced 
that  her  task  was  finished,  and,  falling  at  the  king's  feet,  besought 
him  to  permit  her  to  return  to  her  former  station.  But  the  king 
would  not  consent  to  this,  and  constrained  her  to  remain  with  the 
troops.  He  was  too  poor  to  make  her  any  substantial  return  for 
her  services,  but,  as  a  token  that  he  was  not  unmindful  of  them,  he 
ennobled  her  family. 

11.  On  the  first  unexpected  turn  of  fortune,  the  French  com- 
manders had  been  willing  to  give  all  the  honor  of  the  successes  to 
Joan ;  but  after  a  time  they  became  jealous  of  her  fame ;  and  one 
day  when  some  troops  under  her  command  were  repulsed  near 
Compifegne,  and  obliged  to  retreat  into  the  town,  the  governor 
admitted  the  whole  party  except  poor  Joan,  who  was  purposely 
shut  out. 

12.  Being  thus  left  alone  in  the  midst  of  a  host  of  enemies,  she 
was  pulled  from  her  horse  and  made  a  prisoner.  The  treatment 
she  received  from  Bedford  is  a  dreadful  blot  upon  the  character  of 
a  man  whose  life  had  hitherto  been  more  than  ordinarily  blame- 
less. He  caused  her  to  be  burned  alive  in  the  market-place  of 
Rouen,  on  the  30th  of  May,  1431.  The  spot  of  this  bloody  sacrifice 
is  yet  marked  by  a  statue  of  the  heroic  Maid. 

13.  Bedford  hoped,  by  her  execution  as  a  sorceress,  to  counteract 
the  influence  of  superstition  on  the  minds  of  both  French  and  Eng- 
lish. But  the  effect  was  very  different  from  what  he  expected.  Her 
death  excited  the  horror  and  detestation  of  the  English  towards 
those  concerned  in  it;  and  the  indignation  of  the  French  prompted 
them  to  yet  greater  exertions. 

14.  The  duke  himself  did  not  long  survive  his  victim.  On  his 
death,  he  was  buried  at  Rouen.  When  Charles  VII.  took  posses- 
sion of  that  city,  his  courtiers  proposed  to  him  to  destroy  the 
monument  of  black  marble  which  had  been  erected  over  his  grave. 
"  No,"  said  Charles,  "  let  him  repose  in  peace,  and  be  thankful  that 
he  does  repose,  for  were  he  to  awake,  he  would  make  the  stoutest 
of  us  tremble." 

life  to  the  raising  of  the  siege  of  Orleans.  9,  10,  11,  12.  Relate  the  remaining  events  of 
her  life.  13.  What  effect  did  Bedford  hope  to  produce  by  her  death?  How  were  hio 
pixpect^tions  answered?     14.  What  more  is  said  of  the  duke? 


184 


HENRY   VI. — 1429. 


CHAPTER  CIV. 

Henry  VI. — Quarrels  behveen  his  Councillors. — Marriage  of  the  King 
with  Margaret  of  Anjou. —  Curious  Charge  of  Sorcery. — Murder  of 
the  Duhe  of  Gloucester. 


CROWNING  OP  HENRY  VI. 


1.  KiisrGS,  however  insignificant  in  character,  cannot  be  entirely 
passed  over.  We  must,  therefore,  say  something  about  Henry  VI., 
who  would  himself  have  been  glad  to  remain  in  the  background 
during  the  whole  of  his  life,  for  he  was  of  a  timid  and  quiet  dispo- 
sition, and  entirely  unfit  for  the  cares  of  royalty. 

2.  He  inherited  neither  the  fine  qualities  nor  the  majestic  figure 
of  his  father,  nor  any  of  his  mother's  delicate  beauty.  His  personal 
appearance  was  inelegant,  his  countenance  dull  and  unmeaning. 
His  character  is  thus  described  by  an  old  historian : 

3.  "There  never  was  a  more  holy,  nor  a  better  creature,  a  man 
of  a  meek  spirit  and  a  simple  wit,  preferring  peace  to  war,  and  rest 
to  business,  and  honesty  before  profit.  He  was  governed  of  those 
he  should  have  ruled,  and  bridled  of  those  he  should  have  sharply 
spurred." 

4.  Some  witty  person  has  said,  "  Princes  are  flattered  by  all  things 

CIV.— 1,  2,  3.  What  of  Henry  vi.  ?    5    What  of  his  friend,  the  Earl   of  Warwick 


MARGARET   OF   ANJOU. 1444  185 

but  tlieir  horses,  who  will  make  no  more  ceremony  about  throwing  a 
king  than  a  groom,"  and  few  kings  could  have  been  earlier  subjected 
to  flattery  than  Henry  VI. ;  for,  when  only  eight  months  old,  he  was 
kept  quiet  in  his  mother's  lap  to  listen,  or  rather  to  appear  to  listen, 
to  a  long  address  from  parliament,  in  which  he  was  called  a  "  most 
toward  prince  and  sovereign  governor."  When  he  was  only  eight 
years  old  he  was  solemnly  crowned  at  Paris  as  King  of  France. 

5.  However,  Henry  was  more  fortunate  than  most  princes  in 
having  one  wise  and  sincere  friend  in  the  good  old  Beauchamp, 
Earl  of  Warwick,  who,  when  the  king  was  eleven  years  old,  not 
only  himself  reprimanded  him,  but  also  desired  the  council  would 
in  a  body  admonish  him  of  his  faults. 

6.  After  the  death  of  Warwick,  the  care  of  the  young  king  de- 
volved principally  upon  Cardinal  Beaufort,  between  whom  and 
Gloucester,  the  Regent  of  England,  quarrels  were  constantly  taking 
place.  When  the  king  was  twenty-four  years  old,  the  cardinal,  in 
order  to  thwart  the  good  duke,  formed  a  plan  for  the  marriage  of 
Henry  with  Margaret  of  Anjou. 

7.  Gloucester,  as  if  he  had  foreseen  the  miseries  which  this  fatal 
union  would  bring  upon  the  country,  did  all  in  his  power  to  prevent 
it.  But  his  efforts  only  made  Beaufort  and  his  party  more  eager  to 
bring  it  about,  and  the  marriage  took  place  in  1445. 

8.  Margaret  was  a  woman  of  great  accomplishments,  but  with  a 
most  vindictive  temper.  She  never  forgave  the  Duke  of  Gloucester 
for  the  opposition  he  had  made  to  her  marriage,  and  came  to  Eng- 
land vowing  vengeance  against  him  in  her  heart;  and  she  found 
willing  associates  in  Cardinal  Beaufort  and  the  Duke  of  Suffolk. 

9.  These  noblemen  had  already  commenced  their  machinations 
by  accusing  Eleanor  Cotham,  Gloucester's  wife,  of  witchcraft.  She 
was  charged  with  having  caused  an  image  of  the  king  to  be  made 
in  wax ;  this,  the  accusers  said,  was  laid  before  a  gentle  fire,  and  as 
the  wax  dissolved,  the  king's  strength  was  wasted ;  and  upon  its 
total  dissolution,  his  life  was  to  be  at  an  end. 

10.  Upon  this  absurd  charge  she  was  found  guilty,  and  con- 
demned to  do  public  penance,  and  then  to  be  imprisoned  for  life 
on  the  Isle  of  Man.  One  of  the  evidences  brought  to  prove  that 
she  was  a  witch  was  a  paper  of  mathematical  figures  written  by  her 
priest,  which  the  ignorance  of  the  people  who  found  it  imagined 
to  be  some  magical  incantation. 

11.  Having  the  support  of  the  queen,  these  wicked  nobles  deter- 
mined now  to  attempt  the  destruction  of  the  duke  himself;  he  was 
accused  of  high  treason,  but  the  council,  though  composed  entirely 
of  his  enemies,  were  compelled  to  pronounce  him  innocent  of  the 
charge.  He  was,  notwithstanding,  imprisoned,  and  soon  after- 
wards found  dead  in  his  bed. 

12.  If  Margaret  was  really  accessory  to  his  murder,  she  was  fully 
punished.     Gloucester's  death  was,  in  fact,  her  greatest  misfortune ; 


6.  Who  instigated  him  to  marry  Margaret  of  Anjou?  7.  Wlio opposed  tlie  marriage?  8. 
Wliat  of  Margaret  ?  9.  What  charg(i  was  made  against  Eleanor  Cotham  ?  10.  What  was 
offered  as  evidence  against  her?     11,  12.  What  more  is  said  of  Gloucester? 

16* 


186 


DESIGNS    OF   THE    DUKE    OF    YORK.    -1444. 


for,  had  he  lived,  his  ability,  integrity,  and  great  popularity,  would 
probably  have  preserved  the  family  from  those  calamities  that  after- 
wards befell  them. 


V 


CHAPTER  CV. 


The  Di  ke  of  York  forms  a  Design  to  claim  the  Crown. — Insurrection 
of  Jack  Cade. 


L0SSIN6 


JACK  CADE'S  KEBJELLlOIs. 

1.  After  the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  a  considerable  time 
elapsed  before  the  English  council  could  decide  upon  his  successor. 
While  they  were  disputing  who  should  be  Regent  of  France,  the 
French  were  fast  deciding  the  question  for  themselves;  for  Charles 
made  himself  master  of  Paris,  and  of  many  other  important  places. 

2.  The  Duke  of  York  was  at  length  appointed.  When  he  arrived 
in  France,  he  found  the  English  cause  in  a  very  declining  state, 
and  supported  only  by  the  bravery  and  exertions  of  Lord  Talbot, 
who  was  now  the  sole'survivor  of  Henry  V.'s  brave  band  of  war- 
riors. The  disputes  and  factions  at  home  rendered  all  his  efforts  to 
preserve  the  possessions  of  the  English  in  France  of  no  avail ;  and 
in  1444,  a  truce  for  six  years  was  agreed  upon. 

3.  The  Duke  of  York  conducted  affairs  in  France  with  great 
wisdom  and  prudence,  but  he  would  not  consent  to  became  the  tool 


CV.— 1.  Wliat  is  said  of  the  appointment  of  regnnt  for  Franco  after  Bedford's  death? 
I.  Who  was  %t  length  appointed?   3.  What  was  the  oanse  of  the  recall  of  York?   4.  What 


INSUKKECTION    OF    JACK    CADE. 1450  18? 

of  tlie  queen  and  Suffolk,  wlio  now  managed  everything  their  own 
way,  and  he  was  therefore  recalled,  and  the  Duke  of  Somerset  ap- 
pointed in  his  stead. 

4.  Suffolk  and  Margaret  had  soon  reason  to  repent  of  this  unwise 
measure;  for  York,  who  had  hitherto  been  a  loyal  subject,  feeling 
himself  greatly  injured,  now  meditated  revenge,  by  asserting  his  own 
claim  to  the  crown.  By  his  father  he  was  descended  from  Edward 
the  Third's  youngest  son. 

5.  From  his  mother,  who  was  the  last  of  the  Mortimers,  he  in- 
herited the  claim  of  that  family  from  Liionel,  second  son  of  the  same 
king.  We  must  not  forget  that  John  of  Gaunt,  from  w^hom  Henry 
VI.  was  descended,  was  Edward's  third  son ;  therefore  York,  in  right 
of  his  mother,  had  certainly  a  superior  claim  to  the  crown.  He  kept 
his  designs  secret  for  some  time,  waiting  for  an  opportunity  of  for- 
warding them. 

6.  The  bad  management  of  affairs,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  by 
which  the  English  possessions  in  France  had  been  so  much  reduced 
that  only  Calais  remained  of  them,  excited  the  popular  indignation 
so  much,  that,  in  1450,  the  parliament  was  compelled  to  bring 
charges  of  high  treason  against  Suffolk. 

7.  The  queen  contrived  to  get  him  off  with  five  years'  banishment, 
and  he  sailed  for  France.  But  his  enemies,  who  feared  that  Margaret 
would  recall  him,  employed  a  captain  of  a  vessel  to  intercept  him  in 
his  passage.  Being  brought  to  Dover,  his  head  was  struck  off  on  the 
side  of  a  boat,  and  his  body  thrown  into  the  sea. 

8.  The  popular  discontent  likewise  displayed  itself  in  tumults  and 
insurrections.  The  most  formidable  was  one  that  broke  out  in 
Kent,  headed  by  a  man  named  Jack  Cade,  who  defeated  an  army 
of  the  king's  troops  at  Sevenoaks.  Elated  by  his  victory,  he  advanced 
to  London. 

9.  Entering  the  city,  he  put  to  death  the  sheriff  and  several  nobles, 
and  striking  with  a  staff  what  is  called  London  Stone,  (a  stone  which 
is  yet  to  be  seen  in  London,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  placed  in 
ite  present  position  by  the  Romans,  to  mark  the  spot  from  which 
they  measured  the  distance  from  the  city,)  he  said,  "Now  I  am 
master  of  London." 

10.  But  his  triumph  did  not  last  long;  for,  on  the  appearance  of  a 
body  of  troops,  his  followers  fled,  and  upon  a  pardon  being  offered  to 
all  who  should  return  to  their  homes,  they  deserted  their  leader,  and 
Cade  soon  found  himself  alone.  For  a  short  time  he  wandered  about 
in  disguise,  but  was  at  last  found  lurking  in  a  garden  in  Sussex,  and 
put  to  death  on  the  spot. 

claim  had  York  to  the  crown?  6.  What  is  said  of  the  management  of  affairs  by  Mar^ 
garet  and  Suffolk?  7.  What  was  the  fate  of  Suffolk?  8,  9, 10,  Rehite  the  particulars  of 
Jnck  Cade's  insurrection. 


188  THE    WAR    OF    TBE   TWO    ROSES. 1455. 


CHAPTER    CVI. 

Battle  of  St.  Albans. — The  Duke  of  York  claims  the  Grown. —  War- 
wick, the  King-maker. 

1.  As  the  necessity  for  keeping  an  English  regent  in  France  had 
now  ceased,  Somerset  returned  to  England,  and  succeeded  to  Suffolk's 
place  in  the  confidence  and  favor  of  the  queen.  His  misconduct  in 
France  had  made  him  very  unpopular,  and  his  administration  was 
very  naturally  compared  with  that  of  York,  who  had  acquitted 
himself  very  well  during  his  regency. 

2.  In  1454,  the  king  sunk  into  a  state  of  total  bodily  and  mental 
weakness.  The  Duke  of  York  was  thereupon  made  protector  of  the 
kingdom ;  and  the  first  use  he  made  of  his  power  was  to  put  Somerset 
in  prison.  The  king  soon  after  recovered  his  reason,  and  then  Som- 
erset was  set  at  liberty,  and  York  removed  from  the  protectorship. 

3.  The  quarrel  between  these  two  nobles  soon  after  threw  the 
whole  kingdom  into  a  ferment.  They  both  assembled  their  friends 
and  vassals,  and  met  at  St.  Albans,  where  a  desperate  battle  was 
fought.  May  3d,  1455,  in  which  Somerset  was  killed  and  the  Duke  of 
York  was  completely  victorious. 

4.  The  king,  whom  Somerset  had  dragged,  much  against  his  will, 
into  the  battle,  was  wounded,  and  took  refuge  in  the  house  of  a 
tanner.  Here  the  Duke  of  York  found  him,  and  falling  upon  his 
knees  before  him,  declared  himself  his  loyal  subject,  and  ready  to 
obey  his  commands.  "  If  so,"  said  the  king,  "  stop  the  pursuit  and 
slaughter." 

5.  This  was  the  commencement  of  the  wars  between  the  Houses 
of  York  and  Lancaster ;  a  war  which  lasted  thirty  years,  cost  the 
lives  of  eighty  royal  princes,  and  almost  entirely  annihilated  the 
ancient  nobility  of  England.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  war  between 
the  two  roses,  because  the  badge  worn  by  the  adherents  of  the  house 
of  York  was  a  white  rose,  whilst  those  of  Lancaster  wore  a  red 
rose. 

6.  Henry  was  conducted  to  London  by  the  Duke  of  York,  who 
treated  him  with  the  greatest  submission  and  respect.  Notwith- 
standing his  professions  of  loyalty,  yet,  under  pretence  of  freeing  the 
king  from  evil  counsellors,  he  continued  to  carry  on  the  war  against 
the  queen  and  her  party. 

7.  At  last  the  duke  declared  his  secret  views  on  the  crown  itself; 
and  on  this,  many  who  had  joined  him  because  they  supposed  he 
was  contending  for  the  public  good,  deserted  his  standard.  He, 
seeing  himself  thus  suddenly  abandoned,  retired  into  Ireland. 

CVI, — 1.  Who  succeeded  to  Suffolk's  place?  2.  When,  and  for  what  reason,  was 
York  made  protector?  What  followed  the  king's  recovery?  3.  When  was  the  battle 
of  St,  Albans  fought?  Between  what  parties?  What  was  the  result?  4.  What  be- 
came of  the  king?  5.  What  war  was  this  the  commencement  of?  Why  was  it  called  the 
war  of  the  Two  Roses?    6,  How  was  Henry  treated  by  the  Duke  of  York?    7,  WhaJl 


CONTINUATION    OF   THE    WAR. 1456. 


189 


8.  But  he  left  a  very  able  and  zealous  friend  in  England.  This 
WSLS  his  wife's  brother,  Nevil  Earl  of  Warwick,  commonly  called, 
from  subsequent  events,  The  Kinrj-maker.  This  nobleman  was  the 
richest  subject  in  the  kingdom.  On  his  different  estates  he  main- 
tained 30,000  people, — a  very  great  number,  when  we  remember 
that  the  whole  kingdom  did  not  probably  at  that  time  contain  more 
than  2,300,000. 

9.  Stow,  a  writer  of  that  day,  describes  Warwick  coming  into 
London  with  a  train  of  600  men,  all  in  red  jackets,  embroidered  on 
the  sleeves  with  the  bear  and  ragged  staff,  the  badge  of  his  family. 
He  lodged  in  his  house  in  Warwick  Lane,  and  six  fat  oxen  were 
often  consumed  in  it  for  one  breakfast. 

10.  Not  only  his  own  people  were  fed  at  his  cost,  but  all  persons 
who  had  any  acquaintance  with  those  of  his  household  might  come 
and  carry  off  as  much  boiled  and  roasted  meat  as  they  could  bear 
away  on  their  dagger ;  so  that  it  is  no  wonder  that  he  was  very  popular. 


CHAPTEE    CVII. 

Continuation  of  the  War  between  the  Two  Roses. — Death  of  the  Ihikt 
of  York. — His  Son  proclaimed  King  by  the  title  of  Edward  IV. 


WARS  OF  THE  ROSES. 


1.  Warwick,  having  assembled  an  army,  met  the  royalists  at 
Northampton,  where  he  obtained  so  decided  a  victory  over  them,  that 


was  the  consequence  of  the  duke's  declaring  his  intentions?    8.  What  is  said  of  War- 
wick's style  of  living' 


190 


DEATH    OF    THE    DUKE   OF    YOKK. UfiO. 


they  fled  in  all  directions.  The  queen  and  her  son  with  great  diffi- 
culty escaped  into  Scotland.  The  king  was  found  sitting  alone  in 
his  tent,  and  carried  by  Warwick  in  triumph  to  London. 

2.  The  Duke  of  York  now  returned  to  England,  and  laid  before 
parliament  his  claim  to  the  crown.  There  was  no  doubt  that  he  was 
the  direct  heir  of  Edward  III.,  but  the  parliament  was  unwilling  to 
dethrone  the  reigning  king.  It  was  therefore  determined  that  Henry 
should  remain  king  during  his  life,  but  that  on  his  death,  the  Duke 
of  York  and  his  heirs  should  succeed. 

3.  But  Margaret  was  not  of  a  disposition  calmly  to  see  her  son 
thus  set  aside.  By  great  exertions  she  collected  a  body  of  20,000 
men,  who  were  induced  to  enter  her  service  by  the  promise  of  giving 
them  the  plunder  of  the  fertile  lands  of  England. 

4.  With  these  she  advanced  towards  London,  and  at  Wakefield 
was  met  by  the  Duke  of  York,  who,  ignorant  of  the  number  of  her 
forces,  had  with  him  only  5000  men.  He  wished  to  wait  until  his 
son,  Edward,  should  arrive  with  a  reinforcement;  but  by  the  advice 
of  his  generals  he  changed  his  plan,  and  on  the  30th  of  December, 
1460,  marched  to  meet  the  enemy ;  a  fatal  determination,  for  his 
little  army  w^as  entirely  defeated. 


HEAD  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  YORK. 

5.  He  himself  was  among  the  first  who  fell,  and  the  spot  where 
he  wan  slain  is  still  fenced  off  in  the  corner  of  a  field  near  Sandal. 

CVII. — 1.  What  did  W^arwick  do?  What  became  of  the  queen  and  her  son?  What 
of  tlie  king:?  2.  What  is  said  of  the  Duke  of  York?  3.  How  did  Margaret  receive  the 
parliament's  decision?  By  wliat  promise  did  she  collect  an  army?  4..  What  of  the  bat- 
tle of  Wakefield?     5.  What  was  the  fate  of  the  Duke  of  York?     6.  IIom-  many  childret 


BATTLE    OF   ST.    ALBANS. — 1401. 


191 


He  possessed  many  great  and  good  qualities,  and  his  death  was  sin- 
cerely lamented  by  all  who  had  taken  up  his  cause. 

6.  He  left  three  sons,  Edward,  George,  and  Richard,  and  three 
daughters.  Another  son,  Edmund,  a  beautiful  boy  of  twelve  years 
of  age,  was  killed  on  the  same  day  with  his  father,  being  murdered 
in  cold  blood  by  Lord  Clifford  on  AVakefield  hedge,  where  a  small 
chapel,  which  is  still  standing,  was  afterwards  built,  to  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  the  bloody  deed. 

7.  Margaret,  sanguinary  and  merciless,  caused  the  head  of  the 
Duk :-  of  York  to  be  cut  off  and  fixed  on  the  gates  of  York,  with  a  paper 
crown,  in  derision  of  his  claims;  she  also  caused  the  most  noble  and 
valiant  of  the  prisoners  to  be  beheaded  without  any  form  of  trial. 

8.  The  queen  then  set  forward  to  London ;  and  her  followers 
fully  availed  themselves  of  the  liberty  to  plunder,  for  they  pillaged 
and  burnt  every  church  and  dwelling,  marking  their  way  by  fire 
and  devastation.  The  Earl  of  Warwick  hastened  with  his  forces  to 
meet  her,  taking  with  him  the  poor,  passive  king. 


THE  YOUNG  DUKK  OF  YORK  MADE  KING. 

9.  The  two  armies  met,  on  the  17th  of  February,  14(U  and  f^ 
Albans  was  the  scene  of  a  second  bloody  battle.  The  Lancastrians 
obtained  the  victory,  and  Warwick  fled,  leaving  the  king  behind,' 


fi 


(lid  he  leave?  7,8.  "Wliat  did  Margaret  do  after  the  battle?  9.  What  is  said  of  the 
second  battle  of  St.  Albans?  What  of  the  conduct  of  the  citizens  of  F^omlon  towa-«l« 
Margaret?     10.  What  towards  young  Edward ? 


192  EDWARD    IV. 1461. 

who  rejoiced  to  be  restored  to  his  wife  and  son.  But  the  queen'a 
triumph  was  of  short  duration;  the  city  of  London  was  firm  in  the 
interests  of  the  Yorkists;  and  besides,  the  citizens  feared  to  admit 
her  tumultuous  army,  and  refused  to  open  their  gates. 

10.  Margaret  was  therefore  compelled  once  more  to  retire  to  the 
north.  Edward,  the  young  Duke  of  York,  having  collected  the 
remains  of  Warwick's  army,  entered  London  on  the  3d  of  March, 
amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  multitude.  Warwick  then  assem- 
bled the  people,  and  presenting  the  young  duke  to  them,  demanded 
whether  they  chose  to  have  him  or  Henry  for  their  king. 

11.  Shouts  of  "  A  York !  a  York !"  resounded  from  all  sides,  and 
the  new  king  was  at  once  proclaimed  by  the  title  of  Edward  IV. 
The  next  day  he  went  in  solemn  procession  to  Westminster  Hall, 
and,  taking  his  seat  on  the  throne,  received  the  homage  of  a  great 
number  of  nobles  and  bishops. 

12.  Thus  ended  the  reign  of  Henry  VI.,  who,  while  in  his  cradle, 
had  been  proclaimed  King  of  England  and  France,  and  who  began 
his  life  with  the  most  splendid  prospects.  His  ruin  is  to  be  attrib- 
uted to  his  want  of  capacity,  and  to  the  misconduct  of  his  queen 
and  her  favorites. 

FAMILY   OF   RICHARD,   DUKE   OF   YORK. 
WIFE. 
Anne,  daughter  of  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick. 

SONS. 

Edward,  afterwards  King  of  England. 

George,  Duke  of  Clarence,  executed. 

Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  afterwards  King  Richard  IIL 

DAUGHTERS. 

Anne. 
Margaret.- 


CHAPTER  CVIII. 

Edward  IV. —  The   Civil  War  continues, — Adventures  of  Henry  and 
his  Queen. —  Wretched  Condition  of  the  Lancastrians. 

1.  Edward  was  scarcely  nineteen  years  old,  when  he  found  him- 
self, almost  beyond  his  own  expectation,  placed  upon  the  throne. 
He  was  brave,  active,  and  enterprising,  with  a  capacity  far  beyond 
hjs  years.  Comines,  an  old  historian,  tells  us,  that  "he  was  tall  of 
person,  fair  of  face,  of  a  most  princely  presence,  and  altogether  the 
goodliest  man  that  ever  mine  eyes  beheld." 

2.  But  one  almost  regrets  to  find  these  brilliant  qualities  in  a 
prince  whose  character  is  blackened  by  the  worst  vices.     In  peace 

CVIII.— 1,  2.  What  of  Edward  IV.?    3,  4.  Where  was  the  first  battle  fought?     W'i»t 


THE   CIVIL    WAR     CONTINUES. — 1461. 


193 


he  revelled  in  every  kind  of  self-indulgence,  and  in  war  was  sangui- 
nary beyond  all  who  had  gone  before  him. 


MARGARET  AND  THE  ROBBER. 


3.  The  first  battle,  after  he  became  king,  was  fought  at  Towton. 
bi  ever  did  two  armies  encounter  each  other  with  more  inveterate 
hatred;  and  the  orders  of  the  commanders  on  each  side  were  to  take 
no  prisoners,  and  give  no  quarter. 

4.  The  battle  lasted  from  early  in  the  morning  till  late  in  the 
evening,  and  was  one  of  the  most  bloody  ever  fought  in  Britain.  The 
snow  fell  thickly,  but  the  Yorkists  had  their  backs  to  the  storm,  while 
the  Lancastrians,  who  faced  it,  were  greatly  incommoded  by  it.  The 
latter  were  defeated  with  great  slaughter.  Henry  and  his  family 
waited  the  result  at  York,  and,  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  it,  fled  with 
the  utmost  precipitation  to  Scotland. 

5.  Edward  now  satiated  his  revengeful  temper  by  many  bloody 
executions,  and  every  Lancastrian  who  fell  into  his  hands  was  con- 
demned as  a  traitor.  To  strengthen  his  own  party,  he  conferred 
honors  and  titles  on  all  his  friends.  Indeed,  it  had  become  quite 
necessary  to  make  new  peers,  since  the  late  exterminating  battles, 
and  the  executions  which  followed  them,  had  greatly  reduced  the 
numbers  of  the  nobility. 

6.  These  reverses  of  fortune  seemed  only  to  increase  the  energy  of 
Margaret.  She  made  two  voyages  into  France,  in  hopes  of  obtaining 
aid  n-om  thence.  At  last,  by  her  untiring  exertions,  she  raised  an 
army,  with  which  she  invaded  England  by  the  way  of  Scotland.   She 


is  said  of  it?    6.  What  '%  said  of  Margaret's  energy?    7.  What  of  the  defeat  at  Hexham? 
17 


194      ADVENTURES    OF   HENRY    AND    HIS   QUEEN.— 1464. 

met  with  some  slight  successes,  but  was  defeated  at  Hedgby  Moor 
April  25th,  1464;  and  three  weeks  afterwards  at  Hexham. 

7.  This  last  defeat  was  so  decided,  that  Henry  was  only  saved  by 
the  swiftness  of  his  horse  from  being  made  prisoner.  The  queen  and 
her  son  sought  to  conceal  themselves  in  a  wood;  but  there,  losing 
their  way,  they  fell  among  robbers,  who  took  from  them  everything 
they  had  that  was  valuable. 

8.  The  robbers  then  luckily  began  to  quarrel  about  the  division  of 
the  plunder,  which  gave  Margaret  and  the  prince  an  opportunity  of 
escaping  from  them.  As  they  were  wandering  about  in  the  wood, 
they  met  another  robber.  The  queen,  knowing  that  both  flight  and 
resistance  were  impossible,  went  boldly  up  to  him,  and,  presenting 
her  son,  said,  "  Behold,  my  friend,  the  son  of  your  king.  I  commit 
him  to  your  protection." 

9.  The  man  was  so  affected  by  this  appeal,  that  he  led  them  to  a 
place  of  concealment,  where  they  remained  till  the  pursuit  was  over. 
He  then  conducted  them  to  the  sea-coast,  whence  they  made  their 
escape  to  France. 

10.  Henry  wandered  about  from  one  place  of  concealment  to 
another  for  the  space  of  a  year,  during  which  he  suffered  many  hard- 
ships and  privations.  In  July,  1465,  as  he  sat  at  dinner  at  Wadding- 
ton  Hall,  he  was  betrayed  by  a  monk  to  Sir  James  Harrington,  who 
conveyed  him  to  London,  and  resigned  him  into  the  hands  of  his 
great  enemy,  the  Earl  of  Warwick. 

11.  Warwick  treated  him  with  the  utmost  indignity,  and,  tying  his 
feet  under  his  horse's  belly,  as  if  he  had  been  a  criminal,  compelled 
him  to  ride  three  times  round  the  pillory,  while  the  populace  were 
by  proclamation  forbidden  to  show  him  any  marks  of  respect  or 
compassion.     He  was  then  confined  in  the  Tower. 

12.  His  partisans  were  now  reduced  to  so  much  distress,  that 
many  of  the  most  distinguished  nobles  were  absolutely  begging  their 
bread  in  foreign  lands,  while  the  Yorkists  were  revelling  in  their 
estates.  Comines  says,  "  I  liave  seen  the  Duke  of  Exeter,  barefooted 
and  barelegged,  begging  from  door  to  door ;  but  becoming  known, 
the  Duke  of  Burgundy  bestowed  on  him  a  pension." 

13.  Edward,  with  savage  ferocity,  did  all  he  could  to  exterminate 
the  Lancastrian  nobles,  and  those  who  remained  in  England  could 
save  themselves  only  by  concealment.  The  son  of  that  Lord  Clifford 
who  murdered  Prince  Edmund  was  brought  up  as  a  shepherd. 
Another  Lancastrian  was  concealed  for  five  years  in  a  cave  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Derwent.  The  Countess  of  Oxford  maintained 
herself  and  her  family  for  some  time  by  working  with  her  needle,  and 
when  that  failed,  she  was  obliged  to  beg  about  the  streets  of  London. 

Relate  the  adventures  of  Henry  till  his  capture.    11.  How  was  he  treate^i  by  Warwick ! 
12, 13.  What  of  his  party? 


V 


MARRIAGE  OF   EDWARD   IV. — 1464. 


196 


CHAPTER    CIX.  ' 

Marriage  of  King  Edward  IV. —  Warwick,  offendt  x  at  ii .  becomes  his 
Enemy. — Battle  of  Barnet. — Death  of  Warwick. — Batile  of  Tewks- 
bury. —  Captivity  and  Death  of  the  young  Prince  of  Wales. — Death 
of  Margaret  and  of  Henry. 


KING  HENKY  VI.  RESTORED  BY  WARWICK. 

1.  The  Earl  of  Warwick  was  very  desirous  that  the  king  should 
marry  into  some  powerful  foreign  family.  He  was  accordingly  sent 
abroad  to  negotiate  a  match,  and  succeeded  in  procuring  for  Edward 
the  hand  of  Bona,  sister  to  the  Queen  of  France. 

2.  In  the  mean  time,  as  Edward  was  one  day  hunting  in  Witch- 
wood  Forest,  he  chanced  to  stop  at  the  manor  of  Grafton,  where  was 
the  Lady  Elizabeth  Gray,  daughter  of  the  Duchess  of  Bedford,  and 
widow  of  Sir  John  Gray.  This  lady  became  a  suitor  to  the  king 
for  some  lands  which  had  been  forfeited  for  the  part  her  husband 
had  taken  in  the  war. 

3.  King  Edward  was  so  much  charmed  by  her  beauty  and  grace- 
ful behavior  that  he  in  his  turn  became  a  suitor  to  her.  His 
addresses  met  with  favor,  and  he  presently  married  her.  The  court 
was  soon  crowded  by  her  relations.  Her  father.  Sir  Richard  Wood- 
ville, — whom  her  mother  had  married  after  the  death  of  the  Duke 
of  Bedford, — her  three  brothers,  and  five  sisters,  were  all  raised  to 
the  rank  of  nobility,  and  married  into  the  greatest  families. 

4.  Her  eldest  son,  by  Sir  John  Gray,  was  married  to  the  king's 
niece,  the  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Exeter.    This  sudden  prosperity 


CIX.— 1.  How  did  WaTTrick  wish  the  king  to   marry?    2,  3.   Relate  the  incidan* 


196     EARL  OF  WARWICK  CONSPIREB  AGAINST  EDWARD. — 1470. 

made  the  new  queen's  family  objects  of  jealou-yto  all  the  othei 
courtiers.  Edward  gave  himself  up  to  pleasure,  and  the^court  was 
one  continued  scene  of  revelry ;  yet  under  an  outside  of  gayety  and 
amusement  w^as  hidden  a  smothered  fire  of  hatred  and  envy. 

5.  The  Earl  of  Warwick  was  of  course  highly  indignant  at  this 
marriage  of  the  king,  which  he  considered  as  a  personal  affront  to 
himself;  and  from  being  the  king's  best  friend,  he  became  his  most 
formidable  enemy.  He  concealed  his  resentment,  however,  till  a 
favorable  opportunity  should  occur  for  taking  his  revenge. 

6.  The  king's  two  brothers,  who  had  been  created  Dukes  of  Clar- 
ence and  of  Gloucester,  were  also  offended  at  seeing  themselves  sup- 
planted by  the  new  favorites.  The  Duke  of  Clarence  had  married 
Warwick's  daughter,  and  in  1469  the  two  conspired  together  against 
the  king.  To  further  their  views,  they  proceeded  to  France,  where 
they  were  received  with  great  joy  by  all  the  Lancastrians  there. 

7.  Queen  Margaret  hastened  to  secure  his  friendship  by  marrying 
her  son  to  his  daughter  Anne.  Edward  was  warned  of  the 
approaching  storm  by  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  but  gave  no  heed  to 
the  admonition,  and  continued  to  spend  his  time  in  idle  diversions. 


KING  EDWARD'S  ESCAPE. 

8.  Warwick  landed  in  England,  Sept.  13, 1470,  where  no  prepara- 
tions had  been  made  to  oppose  him.  He  was  joined  by  large  num- 
bers of  disaffected  persons,  and  Edward  and  his  brother  Gloucester 
departed  on  horseback,  and  saved  themselves  by  taking  passage  in 
a  trading-vessel  to  Friesland.  They  had  embarked  with  so  much 
haste,  that  they  were  unprovided  with  money  to  pay  their  passage, 
and  the  king  was  obliged  to  reward  the  captain  of  the  ship  by 
giving  him  his  cloak. 


which  led  to  the  king's  marriage.  4.  What  excited  the  jealousy  of  the  courtiers  ?  5. 
Ho\r  was  Warwick  affected  by  the  king's  marriage?  6.  What  is  said  of  the  king's 
brothers?     8   When  did  Warwick  invade  England?     What  became  of  Edward?     9. 


BATTLE   OF    BARNE'l. lt71. 


197 


9.  The  poor  queen  took  refuge  in  a  sanctuary  at  "Westminster, 
where  her  son,  afterwards  Edward  V.,  was  born.  Warwick  now 
carried  all  before 'him.  The  poor  forgotten  Henry  was  dragged 
from  his  prison,  and  once  more  made  a  king.  But  this  triumph 
lasted  only  a  few  months. 

10.  The  Yorkists,  who  had  been,  as  it  were,  stunned  by  so  sudden 
a  blow,  soon  recovered  from  their  consternation.  Edward  returned  to 
England,  was  joyfully  received  into  London,  and  the  imbecile  Henry 
was  once  more  committed  to  his  prison.  Warwick  collected  his 
forces,  and  went  to  meet  Edward,  who  was  advancing  against  him. 

11.  The  two  armies  met  near  Barnet,  April  12th,  1471.  In  the 
course  of  the  night,  the  fickle  Clarence  deserted  to  his  brother  with 
twelve  thousand  men.  The  next  day  the  battle  was  fought.  War- 
wick fell,  covered  with  wounds ;  a  large  number  of  nobles  perished 
with  him,  and  his  army  was  completely  routed. 

12.  Queen  Margaret  and  her  son,  having  been  detained  by  con- 
trary winds,  did  not  land  in  England  till  the  evening  of  the  day  on 
which  the  battle  of  Barnet  was  fought.  When,  instead  of  the 
triumphant  return  they  had  expected,  they  found  all  their  hopes 
were  blasted  by  the  result  of  that  fatal  day,  for  the  first  time  the 
queen's  undaunted  spirit  forsook  her,  and  she  sank  fainting  to  the 
ground. 

13.  When  she  revived,  she  fled  with  her  son  to  a  sanctuary,  in- 
tending to  return  to  France.     But  some  of  the  Lancastrians  having 


PRINCE  EDWARD  BEFORE  KINO  EDWARD. 

gathered  around  her,  she  was  persuaded  to  stay  and  make  one  more 


What  of  the  queen?    11.  When  and  where  was  the  decisive  battle  fought  between  E* 
ward  and  Warwick?     12.  What  is  said  of  Margaret?    13    What  of  the  battle  of  Tewka 


r* 


198  DEATH   OF   HENRY   VI. — 1471. 

effort  to  regain  the  kingdom;  a  fatal  resolution,  which  cost  the  lives 
of  many  brave  men,  who  were  defeated  and  slain  in  a  battle  fought 
near  Tewksbury,  on  the  3d  of  May. 

14.  The  queen  and  her  son  were  soon  after  taken  prisoners.  The 
young  prince  was  brought  into  the  king's  presence,  who  asked  him 
how  he  dared  to  come  into  his  kingdom  in  arms.  He  boldly  re- 
plied, "  I  came  to  recover  my  father's  kingdom ;"  upon  which  the 
king,  who  seemed  insensible  to  magnanimity,  gave  him  a  blow  on 
the  face.  This  was  considered  as  a  signal  for  further  violence,  and 
he  was  dragged  out  of  the  room  by  the  Dukes  of  Clarence  and 
Gloucester,  and  murdered  with  their  daggers. 

15.  Margaret  survived  her  son  nine  miserable  years;  five  of 
which  she  passed  in  the  Tower.  The  King  of  France  then  ran- 
somed her,  and  she  returned  to  that  country,  where  she  died  in 
1480.  Edward  returned  in  triumph  to  London,  and  the  next  day 
Henry  was  found  dead  in  his  bed.  The  manner  of  his  death  is  not 
certainly  known ;  but  there  is  little  reason  to  doubt  that  he  was 
murdered  by  Gloucester. 

FAMILY   OF   HENRY. 
WIFE. 
Margaret  of  Anjou. 

SON. 
Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  murdered. 


TABLE  OF  THE  KINGS  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  LANCASTER. 

Began  to  reign.  Reigned.  ^ 

1399     .     .     14     .     .  Henry  IV.,  grandson  of  Edward  III. 

1413     .     .       9     .     .  Henry  V.,  son  of  Henry  IV. 

1422     .     .     39     .     .  Henry  VI.,  son  of  Henry  V. 


CHAPTER  ex. 


Edward  IV.  loses  his  energy. — Is  outwitted  by  Louis  of  Fra7ice. — Rich- 
ardj  Duke  of  Gloucester,  procures  the  Death  of  his  brother  Clarence, 

1.  The  king  now  led  a  life  of  luxury  and  indulgence ;  but  he 
had  one  secret  care  which  corroded  all  his  enjoyments.  Although 
the  family  of  Lancaster  had  been  in  a  manner  extirpated,  one  dis- 
tant and  slightly  connected  branch  yet  remained.  Henry  Tudor, 
Earl  of  Richmond,  a  grandson  of  Owen  Tudor,  was  the  only  person 
in  whose  veins  ran  any  of  the  blood  of  Lancaster. 

2.  He  was,  therefore,  considered  the  representative  of  that  family. 
He  had  been  brought  up  by  the  Duke  of  Brittany,  who  protected  him 
from  every  attempt  the  King  of  England  made  to  get  nim  into  his 

bury?    14.  What  was  the  fate  of  Margaret's  son  ?    15.  What  of  Margaret  herself?    What 
of  Henry  ? 

ex.— 1.  Who  was  the  only  surviror  of  the  family  of  Lancaster?    3,4,5   What  ia 


EDWARD    OUTWITTED   BY    LOUIS   OF    FRANCE. 1475.     199 

power.  Once  Edward  had  nearly  succeeded.  In  compliance  with 
his  wishes,  Richmond  had  already  reached  England,  Avhen  the  duke 
began  to  doubt  the  sincerity  of  Edward's  promises,  and  sent  after 
him  and  brought  him  back,  thus  saving  him  from  probable  destruc- 
tion ;  for  Edward's  cruelty  increased  with  his  years. 

3.  In  1475,  Edward  made  great  preparations  for  a  war  with 
France,  and  landed  at  Calais  with  thirty  thousand  men.  But 
while  the  English  were  expecting  great  conquests,  Edward,  who 
had  grown  indolent,  and  preferred  pleasure  to  war,  suffered  himself 
to  be  cajoled,  by  the  cunning  of  Louis  XI.,  into  a  disgraceful  peace. 

4.  Louis,  who  was  one  of  the  most  wicked  and  most  artful  kings 
that  ever  reigned  in  France,  by  rich  presents  and  pensions  corrupted 
the  integrity  of  many  of  the  English  nobles,  and  finally  bribed  King 
Edward  himself  to  return  to  England.  This  conduct  of  the  English 
excited  the  contempt  even  of  the  French.  All  the  while  that  Louis 
was  treating  Edward  with  the  most  profound  respect  to  his  face,  he 
used  behind  his  back  to  divert  himself  and  his  friends  with  ridi- 
culing him  and  his  courtiers  for  being  so  mercenary  and  greedy. 

5.  Although  the  Duke  of  Clarence  had  rendered  the  king  such  an 
important  service  in  the  battle  of  Barnet,  yet  he  never  was  able  to 
secure  his  brother's  favor.  The  queen  was  his  enemy,  but  he  had 
a  still  more  inveterate  and  dangerous  one  in  his  brother,  the  Duke 
of  Gloucester. 

6.  Gloucester  was  very  desirous  to  marry  Anne,  the  daughter  of 
Warwick,  who  had  been  made  a  widow  by  the  murder  of  the  young 
prince.  Clarence,  who  had  married  her  eldest  sister,  wished  her  to 
remain  single,  that  he  might  secure  to  himself  the  whole  of  War- 
wick's great  estates.  As  Richard  was  not  very  attractive,  in  his 
character  at  least,  and  there  are  great  disputes  as  to  his  person,  it 
is  probable  that  Clarence  had  little  dif&culty  in  persuading  her  to 
reject  the  addresses  of  her  husband's  murderer. 

7.  But  Gloucester  was  not  a  man  to  be  deterred  by  any  scruples 
from  effecting  that  by  violence  which  he  could  not  accomplish  by 
persuasion,  and  Anne  was  obliged  to  use  many  artifices  to  conceal 
herself.  At  last  he  discovered  her,  disguised  as  a  cook-maid,  in 
London,  and  immediately  married  her. 

8.  Gloucester  had  now  a  new  reason  for  hating  Clarence.  He 
sought  in  every  way  to  excite  the  king's  jealousy.  A  trifle  at 
length  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  gratifying  his  malice.  As  the 
king  was  one  day  hunting  in  the  park  of  Thomas  Burdet,  who  was 
a  friend  of  Clarence,  it  so  happened  that  he  killed  a  white  buck,  a 
great  favorite  of  the  OAvner. 

9.  Burdet,  vexed  at  his  loss,  fell  into  a  passion,  and  wished  the 
horns  of  the  buck  might  be  the  death  of  him  who  had  advised  the 
king  to  kill  it ;  but  as  no  one  had  advised  the  king  to  do  this,  it  was 
agreed  that  these  words  could  apply  only  to  the  king  himself;  and 
Burdet  was  thereupon  condemned  and  executed,  on  the  pretence  of 
his  wishing  the  king's  death. 

said  of  Edward's  conduct  in  regard  to  France?  6.  How  was  the  Duko  of  Clarence  viewec' 
by  tba  royal  family?    7,  8.  What  particnlai  cause  of  hatred  had  Gloucester?    9, 10,  11 


200       BOOKS   IN   THE    REIGN    OF    EDWARD    IV. 1461-1483. 

10.  Clarence  expressed  very  freely  his  opinion  of  the  injustice  ol 
this  act.  These  expressions  were  forthwith  reported  to  the  king  jy 
Gloucester,  probably  with  many  exaggerations.  Clarence  was  at 
once  arrested,  and  the  parliament,  who  dared  not  oppose  the  wishes 
of  the  king,  condemned  him  to  die. 

11.  As  a  royal  and  brotherly  favor,  the  king  allowed  him  to 
choose  the  manner  of  his  death.  Historians  tell  us  that  he  desired 
to  be  drowned  in  a  butt  of  Malmsey  wine,  and  that  he  was  gratified 
in  his  wish.  He  had  a  son,  who  inherited  his  grandfather's  title 
of  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  and  a  daughter,  afterwards  Countess  of 
Salisbury,  both  of  whom  met  with  violent  deaths. 

12.  Edward  survived  his  brother  about  five  years ;  his  life  is  said 
to  have  been  shortened  by  his  excesses,  and  his  death  at  last  to 
have  been  produced  by  his  vexation  at  having  been  outwitted  by 
Louis  XI.,  in  a  new  negotiation.  He  died  April  9th,  1483,  in  the 
forty-first  year  of  his  age,  and  the  twenty-third  of  his  reign. 

FAMILY  OF   EDWARD  IV. 

WIFE. 

Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Sir  Richard  Woodville,  and  widow  of  Sir  John  Gray. 

SONS. 
Edward,  Prince  of  Wales. 
Richard,  Duke  of  York. 

DAUGHTERS. 
Elizabeth,  married  to  Henry  VII.. 
Cicely. 
Anne. 
Catharine. 


il 


^ 


CHAPTEE  CXI. 


The  Invention  of  the  Art  of  Printing. — Introduced  into  England  by 

William  Caxton. 

1.  There  were  very  few  books  written  during  the  reign  of 
Edward  IV.,  which  some  have  accounted  for  by  attributing  it  to 
the  then  recent  discovery  of  the  art  of  printing.  They  suppose 
that  the  business  of  transcribing  declined  before  printing  was 
brought  to  sufficient  perfection  to  supply  its  place. 

2.  To  whom,  among  the  great  number  of  claimants  of  the  merit, 
we  are  indebted  for  this  valuable  invention  is  a  matter  of  dispute. 
There  is  a  common  story  that  Laurentius  Coster,  of  Haarlem,  was 
the  person  to  whom  the  idea  first  occurred.  The  following  account 
of  it  is  in  the  words  of  his  old  servant : 

3.  "  He,  one  day,  walking  in  the  wood  near  the  city,  as  the  rich 

Relate  the  incident  which  gave  an  excuse  for  putting  Clarence  to  death,    12.  What  was 
the  manner  of  Clarence's  death  ? 

CXI.— 1.  How  is  the  smalluess  of  the  number  (  f  books  written  in  Edward  IV.'s  time 
ftccounted  for?    2.  To  whom  is  the  invention  of  printing  usually  attributed?    3.  AVi«,t 


I 


1^ 

PRINTING    INTRODUCED    INTO    ENGLAND. — 1471  201 


If 


citizens  were  wont  to  do,  diverted  himself  by  cutting  letter?,  on  the 
bough  of  a  beecli-tree,  and  for  fancy's  sake  the  thought  struck  him 
to  take  the  impression  off  on  paper  with  ink,  to  please  his  grand- 
children. 

4.  "  The  experiment  succeeding  beyjond  his  expectation,  he  and 
his  son-in-law  applied  their  minds  to  improve  the- discovery.  They 
made  wooden  types ;  but  for  a  time  they  could  only  print  on  one 
side  of  a  page.  An  old  parchment,  with  the  alphabet  and  the 
Lord's  prayer  printed  on  it,  is,  I  am  told,  preserved  in  some  library 
in  Germany,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  one  of  these  first 
attempts." 

5.  This  story  goes  on  to  say  that  Coster  set  up  a  press  in  his  own 
house,  and  wished  to  keep  his  discovery  a  secret,  but  that  two  of  his 
servants  stole  his  types.  But  the  more  authentic  accounts  seem  to 
show  that  John  Gutenberg,  of  Mentz,  was  the  real  inventor  of 
printing,  and  that  one  Faust  was  his  partner  in  the  first  successful 
attempts  in  the  art. 

6.  The  first  book  which  was  printed  by  Faust  is  an  exceedingly 
splendid  Bible,  of  the  supposed  date  of  1450,  or  thereabouts.  An 
honest  citizen  and  mercer  of  London,  named  William  Caxton,  had 
occasion  to  go  into  Holland,  where  he  heard  and  saw  much  of  this 
new  discovery. 

7.  Being  very  solicitous  to  make  so  valuable  an  art  known  in 
England,  he  established  himself  for  some  time  at  Cologne,  for  the 
purpose  of  learning  it ;  and,  though  he  was  in  his  fifty-seventh  year, 
he  applied  himself  so  diligently  to  his  new  undertaking,  that,  in 
1471,  he  printed  a  book  entitled  "  The  Eecule  of  the  History  of 
Troy." 

8.  He  then  went  to  England  and  set  up  a  printing-press  at  West- 
minster, and  printed  a  book  on  the  Game  of  Chess,  interspersed 
with  wood-cuts,  which  appear  uncouth  enough  to  us,  but  were  at 
the  time  considered  as  admirable  specimens  of  engraving. 

9.  Caxton  carried  over  with  him  the  types  used  in  Germany,  and 
of  course  marked  with  the  characters  used  in  that  country.  From 
these  and  similar  types,  all  English  books  were  printed  for  more 
than  a  century.  It  is  called  black  letter.  In  the  reign  of  James  I. 
the  Roman  character  (the  one  now  used)  was  adopted,  and  soon 
entirely  superseded  the  old  German,  or  black  letter. 

10.  We  must  now  say  a  few  words  of  the  ships,  or  "wooden 
walls  of  old  England,"  as  they  are  called.  A  great  change  had 
taken  place  in  the  construction  of  them  in  the  last  few  reigns.  The 
ships  of  war  were  of  much  larger  size,  and  on  the  top  of  the  mast 
was  a  little  wooden  tower,  in  which  three  or  four  men  could  stand 
to  hurl  down  stones  and  arrows  into  an  enemy's  vessel. 

11.  These  ships  had  guns,  but  they  were  not  very  serviceable,  for 
they  were  fixed  in  their  places,  and  had  no  carriages.  In  Henry 
VI. 's  time,  decks  and  bowsprits  were  added ;  and  the  large  ships 

is  the  story  told  by  Laxirontins'  servant?  5.  Who  was  the  real  inventor  of  the  art? 
What  of  Faust?  6.  Wliat  was  the  first  book  printed  by  Faust?  Who  was  Wil  iam 
Caxton?  7,  8.  What  of  Caxton  as  a  printer?  9.  What  is  black  letter?  10,  11  12 
What  is  said  of  the  ships? 


202  RICHARD,    DUKE   OF    GLOUCEST_.R. — 1483. 

were  exceedingly  encumbered  by  a  sort  of  wooden  house,  or  castle, 
at  each  end. 

12.  They  were  much  ornamented  with  gilding  and  painting;  and 
armorial  bearings  and  badges  were  embroidered  on  the  sails  The 
vessels  in  which  Henry  V.  sailed  to  France  just  before  the  battle  of 
Agincourt  had  purple  sails,  embroidered  with  gold. 


CHAPTER    CXn. 

Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester. — He  aspires  to  wear  the  Ckow^i. — Seizes 
upon  the  young  King,  Edward  V.,  whose  Mother  flies  to  a  Sanc- 
tuary. 

1.  We  have  now  come  to  the  shortest  reign  and  most  pathetic 
story  in  English  history.  Edward  left  two  sons,  the  elder  of  whom, 
about  thirteen  yeans  old,  was  proclaimed  king  by  the  title  of  Edward 
V.  Though  the  public  generally  acknowledged  his  title,  there  was, 
among  his  nearest  relations,  one  who  had  long  marked  the  innocent 
boy  for  destruction. 

2.  This  person  was  his  uncle  Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester.  The 
ability,  vigor  of  mind,  and  personal  courage  of  this  prince  have  never 
been  disputed.  But  with  regard  to  his  moral  character  there  has 
been  great  difference  of  opinion ;  some  writers  having  loaded  his 
memory  with  more  crimes  than  it  seems  possible  for  any  one  man 
to  have  committed ;  while  others  have  endeavored  to  vindicate  him 
from  most  of  the  guilt  of  which  he  has  been  accused. 

3.  There  has  been  the  same  difference  of  opinion  as  to  his  personal 
appearance.  One  old  chronicler  says,  "He  was  crooked-backed, 
hook-shouldered,  splay-footed,  goggle-eyed,  and  his  face  was  Uttle 
and  swarthy."  On  the  other  side,  an  old  lady,  Desmond,  who  lived 
to  be  130  years  old,  and  had  danced  with  King  Richard  in  her 
youth,  used  always  to  say  that  he  was  a  very  handsome  man. 

4.  The  truth  probably  lies  between  the  two ;  and  those  are  doubt- 
less correct  who  tell  us  that,  though  his  features  were  rather  homely, 
the  expression  of  his  countenance  was  princely  and  sensible ;  that 
his  figure,  though  short,  was  well  built,  with  no  other  defect  than 
that  his  right  shoulder  was  somewhat  higher  than  the  left. 

5.  Richard  had  long  entertained  the  project  of  usurping  the  crown^ 
and  he  now  made  use  of  the  jealousy  which  the  nobles  felt  of  the 
queen  and  her  relatives,  to  advance  his  plan.  The  young  king  had 
been  intrusted  to  the  care  of  his  uncle.  Lord  Rivers,  and  his  half- 
brother.  Lord  Gray. 

6.  Richard's  first  step  was  to  remove  these  noblemen  from  about  the 
person  of  Edward.  In  this  he  was  willingly  assisted  by  Lord  Hast- 
mgs,  a  loyal  and  honest  man,  but  one  who  bore  a  bitter  enmity  to  the 
queen  and  her  relatives.    Accompanied  by  Hastings,  Richard  set  out 

CXn.— 1.  Who  SQ  needed  Edward  IV.?     2,  3,  4.  What  of  Richard,  Dnke  of  Olonco* 


RICHARD   APPOINTED   PROTECTOR. — 1483  203 

with  a  numerous  train  to  meet  the  king,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
Loudon  to  be  crowned. 

7.  They  met  him  and  his  little  party  at  Stony  Stratford,  where 
the  Lords  Gray  and  Rivers  passed  the  evening  with  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester  in  mirth  and  pleasantry,  unsuspicious  of  the  coming 
evil.  The  next  morning  they  were  seized  and  sent  to  Pontefract, 
and  all  the  rest  of  Edward's  attendants  were  dismissed,  and  for- 
bidden to  come  near  the  court  on  pain  of  death. 

8.  The  poor  young  king,  finding  himself  alone  and  in  the  power 
of  his  uncle,  whom  he  had  early  been  taught  to  dread,  was  struck 
with  grief  and  terror;  but  Gloucester,  falling  on  his  knees,  assured 
him,  with  strong  professions  of  loyalty  and  affection,  that  all  he  had 
done  was  for  his  preservation. 

9.  Edward,  being  soothed  into  composure,  set  off  with  his  uncle 
towards  London,  where  the  news  of  these  violent  measures  arrived 
before  them,  and  occasioned  great  alarm.  The  queen  instantly  fled 
into  the  sanctuary  at  Westminster,  taking  with  her  the  Duke  of 
York  and  her  five  daughters.  Eotherham,  Archbishop  of  York,  a 
faithful  servant  of  the  crown,  hastened  to  comfort  her.  Her  con- 
dition is  thus  described  by  an  old  chronicler : 

10.  "The  archbishop  found  about  the  queen  much  heaviness, 
rumble,  haste  and  business ;  carriage  and  conveyance  of  her  stuffe 
into  sanctuarie;  chests,  coffers,  packs,  fardles,  bundles,  tossed  all  on 
men's  backs;  no  man  unoccupied;  some  lading,  some  going,  some 
unloading,  some  going  for  more,  some  breaking  down  the  wall  to 
bring  in  the  nearest  way.  The  queen  herself  sate  alone  low  on  the 
rushes,  all  desolate  and  dismaid." 


CHAPTER  CXIII. 

Richard  III.  usurps  the  Crown. — He  causes  the  young  King  and  his 
Brother  to  Be  murdered. 

1.  On  the  4th  of  May,  Gloucester  conducted  his  nephew  into  Lon- 
don, riding  before  him  bareheaded,  and  frequently  calling  out  to  the 
people,  "Behold  your  king!"  At  a  great  council  held  two  days 
after,  the  artful  duke  was  appointed  protector  of  the  kingdom.  To 
keep  up  the  deception,  a  day  was  appointed  for  the  coronation  of 
the  king,  and  the  preparations  were  at  once  begun. 

2.  In  the  mean  time,  those  to  whom  Richard  had  imparted  his 
designs  upon  the  crown  were  actively  employed.  On  the  13th  of 
May,  Sir  Thomas  Ratcliffe,  one  of  his  chief  confidants,  entered  Pon- 
tefract with  5000  men,  and,  without  any  trial,  beheaded  Lord  Rivers 
and  Lord  Gray.  The  deatli  of  Lord  Rivers  caused  much  lamenta- 
tion, for  he  was  the  most  accomplished  nobleman  of  his  time. 

ter?    5.  To  what  did  he  aspire?    6,  7.  How  did  he  set  about  the  accomplishment  of  his 
wish  ?     9,  10.  What  of  the  queen  ? 
CXIII. — 1.  How  did  Gloucester  treat  his  nephew?      What  oflBce  did  he  receive* 


204 


EXECUTION    OF    LOliD    HASTINGS. 1483. 


3.  Another  of  his  creatures,  named  Catesby,  had  endeavored  to 
gain  the  support  of  Hastings ;  but  this  nobleman  being  found  to  be 
firm  in  his  devotion  to  Edward's  children,  his  destruction  was  deter- 
mined upon.  On  the  very  day  that  the  lords  were  murdered  at  Pon- 
tefract,  Richard  summoned  the  council  to  meet  in  the  Tower.  He 
appeared  to  be  remarkably  gay  and  good-natured,  but  left  the 
council-chamber  as  if  called  out  upon  business. 

4.  He  soon  returned  with  an  angry  countenance,  and  demanded 
what  those  deserved  who  plotted  against  his  life.  Hastings  replied, 
that  "  they  should  be  treated  as  traitors."  "  These  traitors,"  said 
the  protector,  "are  the  sorceress,  my  brother's  wife,  and  another  of 
his  late  friends.  See  to  what  they  have  reduced  me  by  their  witch- 
craft ;"  upon  which  he  laid  bare  his  withered  arm. 

5.  The  councillors,  who  knew  that  the  arm  had  been  so  from  his 
birth,  looked  at  one  another  with  amazement;  but  Hastings  ventured 
to  defend  the  late  king's  friend.  "And  do  you  reply  to  me,"  ex- 
claimed Richard,  "  with  your  ifs  and  your  ands  ?  you  are  yourself  the 
chief  traitor;  and  I  swear  I  will  not  dine  before  your  head  be  brought 
to  me !"     On  this  he  struck  his  hand  on  the  table,  and  armed  men 


EXECUTION  OF  HASTINGS. 


rushed  in,  who  seized  Hastings,  and  instantly  beheaded  him  in  the 
presence  of  the  council. 


2.  What  did  Gloucester's  partisans  do  ?     3,  4,  5.  Relate  the  circumstances  which  occarred 


I 


RICHARD    USURPS   THE    CROWN. 1483. 


205 


6.  Richard's  next  object  was  to  get  the  young  Duke  of  York  into 
his  power.  He  declared  that  it  would  be  highly  improper  to  sufler 
the  duke  to  remain  in  the  sanctuary,  a  place  where  thieves  and 
murderers  found  refuge.  He  sent  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, who  had  no  suspicion  of  his  evil  designs,  to  persuade  the 
queen  to  surrender  her  young  son. 

7.  Although  she  had  not  heard  of  the  bloody  deed  at  Pontefract, 
she  had  begun  to  suspect  the  designs  of  Richard.  She  knew  that 
her  son  would  be  taken  from  her  by  force  if  she  refused  her  consent 
to  his  departure.  Clasping  him  to  her  breast,  she  took  leave  of  him 
with  a  shower  of  tears.  The  young  king  was  delighted  to  see  his 
brother,  hoping  long  to  enjoy  his  company. 

8.  Having  now  both  the  young  princes  in  his  power,  Gloucester 
began  to  act  more  openly.  He  employed  a  popular  preacher  to 
harangue  the  people  in  his  favor ;  but  he  met  with  little  success. 
The  Duke  of  Buckingham  then  undertook  to  address  them.  After 
describing  the  miseries  of  the  last  reign,  and  the  unfitness  of  the 
young  king  to  govern,  he  enlarged  upon  the  virtues  of  the  Duke  of 
Gloucester. 

9.  He  expressed  his  apprehensions  that  the  protector  could  not 
be  prevailed  upon  to  accept  the  crown,  but  he  hoped  that  the  people 
would  take  every  method  to  persuade  him  to  do  so.  He  concluded 
by  desiring  every  man  to  speak  his  real  sentiments,  and  to  declare, 
without  fear,  whether  he  would  have  for  king  the  young  prince, 
or  the  virtuous  protector. 


THE  DUKK  OF  GLOUCESTER. 

10.  A  silence  for  some  time  ensued ;  at  length  some  of  th^  duke's 

m  the  council-chamber.    6.  What  -was  Richard's  next  object?    H<"w  did  he  »ffect  it? 
18 


206 


FATE  OF  THE  TWO  YOUNG  PRINCES. 


own  servants,  who  had  slipped  among  the  crowd,  cried  out,  "Long 
live  King  Kichard !"  A  few  of  the  mob  joined  in  the  cry,  and  the 
duke,  taking  advantage  of  the  faint  approbation,  found  means  to 
induce  the  mayor  and  aldermen  to  accompany  him  to  the  palace 
of  the  protector,  and  to  offer  him  the  crown. 

11.  Kichard  pretended  to  be  very  much  surprised  at  seeing  such 
a  concoui-se  of  people.  When  he  was  informed  that  their  business 
was  to  offer  him  the  crown,  he  declined  accepting  it,  saying,  that 
"  his  love  of  his  brother's  children  was  greater  than  his  love  of  a 
crown."  But  he  at  length  suffered  himself  to  be  persuaded  by 
Buckingham,  and  declared  his  acceptance. 


CORONATION  OF  RICHARD  III. 


12.  He  was  at  once  proclaimed  king,  and  the  same  preparation 
which  had  been  made  for  the  coronation  of  Edward  V.  served  for 
that  of  Eichard  III.     It  was  long  before  the  fate  of  the  two  young 

grinces  was  known  with  certainty ;  but  they  never  were  seen  again, 
orae  years  afterwards,  two  persons  confessed  themselves  to  have 
been  their  murderers,  and  said  that  their  bodies  were  buried  at  the 
foot  of  a  staircase  in  the  Tower. 

13.  The  story  was  not  believed  at  the  time,  it  being  supposed 
that  it  was  fabricated  for  political  effect ;  but  it  was  confirmed  in 
an  extraordinary  manner  two  hundred  years  afterwards ;  when,  in 
altering  a  staircase  in  the  Tower,  a  chest  was  found  buried  under 
it,  in  which  were  the  bones  of  two  children,  answering  in  size  to  the 
ages  of  Edward  and  his  brother.  Edward  V.  was  in  his  thirteenth 
year  when  his  father  died,  and  reigned  not  quite  three  months. 


8,  9, 10.  What  bold  step  was  next  taken?    11.  How  did  Riphard  behave  when  offered  the 
crown  ?    12, 13.  What  was  the  fate  of  the  young  princes  ? 


A 


HENRY   TUDOR. — 1484.  '     207 


CHAPTER  CXIV. 

A  Plot  is  formed  for  placing  Henri/  Tudor  on  the  Throne,  which  is  for 
the  present  defeated. 

1.  As  soon  as  Richard  had  obtained  the  crown,  he  sought  to 
secure  the  future  support  of  those  who  had  assisted  him,  by  bestow 
ing  upon  them  liberal  rewards.  The  Duke  of  Buckingham,  having 
the  greatest  claim,  received  the  largest  share  of  his  favors. 

2.  Ample  as  was  the  compensation,  however,  it  was  not  enough 
to  satisfy  the  avarice  or  the  ambition  of  this  nobleman,  and  we 
ven/  soon  find  him  engaged  in  a  conspiracy  to  depose  Richard,  and 
to  place  Henry  Tudor,  Earl  of  Richmond,  on  the  throne.  In  order 
to  supply  the  defects  of  this  prince's  title,  it  was  agreed  that  he 
should  marry  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of  Edward  IV.,  who,  after 
her  brothers,  had  the  best  right  to  the  crown. 

3.  Richard,  whose  vigilance  did  not  suffer  the  tempest  to  gather 
unperceived,  assembled  an  army,  and  then  summoned  Buckingham 
to  attend  him.  This  nobleman  replied  only  by  taking  the  field 
with  some  troops  he  had  collected  in  Wales.  With  these  he  ad- 
vanced towards  England. 

4.  When  he  arrived  near  the  river  Severn,  an  extraordinary  flood, 
such  as  had  never  been  known  before,  and  which  was  long  remem- 
bered as  Buckingham's  flood,  prevented  his  crossing.  His  Welsh 
troops,  impelled  partly  by  superstition,  and  partly  by  famine,  de- 
serted him  and  returned  home.  The  officers,  finding  themselves 
abandoned  by  their  men,  either  fled  from  the  country  or  took 
refuge  in  sanctuaries. 

5.  Buckingham,  thinking  he  could  rely  upon  the  fidelity  of  a  de- 
pendent of  his  own,  named  Bannister,  sought  refuge  in  his  house ; 
but  this  man  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  the  large  reward 
ofiered  for  his  master's  apprehension,  and  betrayed  him  to  the 
sheriff*  of  Shropshire,  who  found  him  in  the  disguise  of  a  peasant, 
hidden  in  an  orchard  behind  Bannister's  house.  He  was  taken  to 
London,  and  there  executed. 

6.  Richard,  whose  heart  seemed  callous  to  the  sufferings  of  others, 
was  himself  vulnerable  in  one  point.  Edward,  his  only  child,  died 
April  9th,  1484,  and  we  are  told  that  the  king's  grief  was  so  excessive 
that  he  almost  "  run  mad."  The  grief  of  the  queen  was  not  less 
violent,  and  her  death,  a  few  months  afterwards,  is  generally  ascribed 
to  it,  though  some  assert  that  she  was  poisoned  by  her  husband. 

7.  Richard  now  sought  to  gain  the  favor  of  the  widowed  queen 
of  Edward  IV.  He  succeeded  so  well  as  to  induce  her  to  consent 
to  his  own  marriage  with  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  although  he  was 
her  uncle,  and  had  murdered  her  two  brothers  and  other  relations. 

8.  The  king,  notwithstanding  all  his  spies,  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  aware  that  Richmond,  who  was  supposed  to  be  all  the  while  in 

CXIV.— 1,  2.  What  of  Buckingham?  How  was  Richmond's  title  to  be  strengthened? 
S.  What  did  Richard  do?    4.  What  of  Buckingham's  flood?     5.  What  was  the  fate  of 


208 


BATTLE   OF   B08W0RTH-F1ELD. — 1485. 


France,  did  in  fact  pass  great  part  of  his  time  in  Wales,  making 
himself  friends  among  his  countrymen;  for  the  Tudors  were  a 
Welsh  family. 

9.  Once  he  was  so  near  being  discovered  by  Richard's  spies,  that 
he  escaped  only  by  jumping  out  of  a  back  window  and  getting 
through  an  opening,  which  is  still  called  the  king's  hole.  On  his 
return  to  France  he  heard  the  report  of  Richard's  intended  mar- 
riage. He  therefore  hastily  collected  the  English  exiles,  and  a  few 
French  soldiers,  in  all  about  3000  men,  and  landed  at  Milford 
Haven,  August  7th,  1485. 


f 


Battle  of  Bosworth-field.- 


CHAPTER  CXV. 

-Death  of  Richard  III. 
his  Bedstead. 


-Singidar  Story  of 


BATTLE  OF  BOSWORTH. 

1.  When  Richard  heard  how  small  a  number  of  persons  accom- 
panied the  earl,  and  what  a  ragged,  beggarly  crew  they  were,  he 
desj^ised  so  weak  d!n  enemy.  But  when  he  found  that  his  numbers 
were  fast  increasing,  and  that  some  Welsh  troops,  who  were  sent 
against  him,  actually  joined  him,  he  began  to  think  the  danger 
more  urgent.  He  might  still  have  quelled  it,  had  he  known  in 
whom  to  confide. 

2.  The  chief  agents  in  his  wicked  schemes  were  Ratcliffe,  Catesby. 


Buckingham?     6.  What  domestic  misfortune  befell  Richard?    8,9.  Where  was  Rich- 
mond all  this  time  ? 
CXV. — 1.  What  is  said  of  Richard's  feelings  when  he  heard  of  Richmond's  invasiou? 


DEATH    OF    RICHARD. 1485.  209 

and  Lovel,  which  gave  rise  to  the  following  verses  ^hich  an  old 
chronicler  tells  us  "  passed  in  those  times  for  excelle.it  wit" : 

"The  Cat,  the  Rat,  and  Lovel  the  dog, 
Rule  all  England  under  the  Hog." 

The  white  boar  was  the  badge  of  Richard. 

3.  But  Richard  knew  that  these  were  not  friends  who  could  be 
relied  on  in  time  of  his  own  need.  He  distrusted  all  around  him, 
and  not  without  reason ;  for  Lord  Stanley,  to  whom  he  had  given 
the  chief  command  in  his  army,  was  in  secret  league  with  Rich- 
mond, whose  mother  he  had  married. 

4.  Richard  at  length  roused  himself,  and,  collecting  what  troops 
he  could,  marched  with  great  pomp,  wearing  a  crown  on  his  helmet, 
to  Merivalle,  not  far  from  Bos  worth,  where  Richmond  had  arrived 
before  him.  On  the  23d  of  Augusc,  1485,  the  forces  on  both  sides 
were  drawn  out  in  line  of  battle. 

5.  Lord  Stanley  drew  up  the  torces  under  his  immediate  com- 
mand, at  a  little  distance  from  the  rest  of  the  king's  troops.  Rich- 
mond, who  was  no  soldier,  sent  lo  request  Lord  Stanley  to  assist 
him  in  forming  his  men ;  but  Stanley  answered  that  he  must  form 
them  himself,  and  he  would  come  to  him  at  a  convenient  season. 

6.  Richard  was  very  angry  when  he  saw  how  Stanley  had  drawn 
up  his  men,  but  it  was  now  too  lait  to  do  more  than  to  summon  his 
immediate  attendance, — a  summons  which  was  not  obeyed.  The 
battle  began,  but  no  vigor  or  spirit  was  displayed  in  the  royal  army; 
and  when  Lord  Stanley  suddenly  turned  and  attacked  it,  Richard 
saw  that  all  was  lost,  and  exclaiming,  "Treason!  treason!"  rushed 
into  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  and  made  his  way  to  Richmond,  hew- 
ing down  all  before  him. 

7.  The  earl  shrunk  back  at  his  approach;  but  his  attendants 
gathered  round  Richard,  who  fought  like  a  wild  beast  at  bay,  till 
at  last  he  fell,  covered  with  wounds.  His  helmet  was  so  beaten  in 
by  the  blows  it  had  received,  that  its  form  was  quite  destroyed. 

8.  Most  of  the  nobles  had  deserted  the  royal  cause.  The  Duke 
of  Norfolk  was  among  the  few  exceptions.  Some  friend  had  tried 
to  save  him  from  his  impending  fate,  and  had  that  morning  thrown 
an  admonitory  letter  into  his  tent.     It  ran  thus : 

"Jockey  of  Norfolk,  be  not  too  bold. 
For  Dickon,  thy  master,  is  bought  and  sold." 

9.  Richard  reigned  little  more  than  two  years,  and  was  slain  in 
the  thirty-fifth  year  of  his  age.  He  fell  near  a  brook  which  runs 
through  Bosworth-field,  the  water  of  which  long  remained  stained 
with  blood;  and  it  is  said  that  the  people  in  the  neighborhood  are 
averse  to  using  it,  even  at  this  day. 

10.  The  body  of  Richard,  after  suffering  many  indignities,  was 
at  last  buried  in  a  church  at  Leicester.  But  his  bones  were  not 
suffered  to  rest  even  here;  for  at  the  destruction  of  the  religious 

2.  Who  were  his  chief  agents?  What  versos  were  formed  on  them?  4,  When  was  the 
l.attle  of  Bosworth-field  fought?  5.  What  is  said  of  Lord  Stanley's  conduct  ?  6,7.  What 
of  Richard's  conduct  in  the  battle?     8.  What  is  said  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk?    9.  How 

IS* 


210     AMUSEMENTS   OF    THE    ENGLISH    IN    OLDEN   TIM 


^ 


houses  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII.,  they  were  torn  from  theii 
burying-place,  and  his  stone  coffin  was  converted  into  a  watering- 
trough  for  horses  at  an  inn  in  Leicester. 

11.  The  story  of  an  article  of  Richard's  furniture  is  yet  more  ex- 
traordinary. He  travelled  about,  as  was  then  the  custom,  with  hia 
own  bedstead.  When  he  was  killed  at  Bosworth,  this  was  left  at 
the  place  he  had  last  slept  at  in  Leicester,  and  was  kept  by  the 
people  of  the  house.  It  was  entirely  of  wood,  and  was  much  gilded 
and  otherwise  ornamented. 

12.  About  one  hundred  years  after  the  battle,  as  the  woman  to 
whom  it  then  belonged  was  one  day  making  the  bed,  a  piece  of 
money  fell  out  from  a  crevice  of  the  bedstead.  Upon  examination 
she  found  that  the  bottom  of  the  bedstead  was  hollow,  and  con- 
tained coin  to  the  value  of  nearly  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 

13.  This  discovery  proved  fatal  to  the  woman,  for  she  was  robbed 
and  murdered  by  her  servant  for  the  sake  of  her  new-found  treasure. 
The  servant  was  hanged  for  the  murder ;  and  thus  Richard's  gold 
seemed  to  have  the  property  of  bringing  evil  upon  all  who  touched  it. 


CHAPTER  CXVI. 

Amusements  of  the  English  in  olden  time.  —  Christmas   Gambols. — 
Miracles  and  Mysteries. — Description  of  a  Gentleman^ s  Dress. 

1.  As  we  have  had  horrors  enough  for  the  present,  we  may  now 
turn  our  attention  to  the  amusements  of  the  English,  beginning 
with  the  children.  Perhaps  our  young  readers  may  toss  their  balls 
and  trundle  their  hoops  with  more  glee  than  ever,  when  they  know 
that  the  Black  Prince,  John  of  Gaunt,  and  perhaps  even  Thomas 
h,  Becket,  and  old  Caxton  himself,  played  with  such  things  hun- 
dreds of  years  since ;  for  these  games  were  in  use  as  long  ago  as  the 
Conquest. 

2.  Shuttlecock  and  blind-man's-buflf  are  also  very  ancient  games. 
But  there  were  some  old  amusements  which  were  not  so  unexcep- 
tionable. There  was  a  strange  ceremony  observed  in  most,  if  not 
all,  the  cathedrals,  on  the  28th  of  December,  called  Innocents'  Day, 
in  remembrance  of  the  slaughter  of  the  children  of  Bethlehem  by 
order  of  Herod. 

3.  A  boy  was  dressed  up  in  the  vestments  of  the  bishop.  He  was 
attended  by  a  parcel  of  other  boys  habited  like  priests,  and  in  this  guise 
he  preached  a  mock  sermon  in  church,  and  then  went  in  procession 
about  the  town.     This  was  called  the  festival  of  the  boy-bishop. 

4.  But  the  love  of  sports  and  merry-making  was  not  confined  to  the 
young.    Those  who  were  older,  having  but  little  mental  cultivation, 

long  did  Richard  reign  ?    How  old  was  he  at  his  death  ?     10.  What  is  said  of  his  body  ? 
11,  12.  Relate  the  story  of  his  bedstead. 
CX'V  I. — 1,  2.  What  were  the  amusements  of  the  chilflren  ?    What  ceremony  on  In- 


AMUSEMENTS   OF   THE   ENGLISH    IN    OLDEN   TIMES.      21  i 

had  so  few  sedentary  amusements  that  they  were  glad  to  fly  to 
active  and  boisterous  ones.  Even  the  fine  ladies  did  not  then  dis- 
dain to  seek  diversion  from  things  that  in  our  times  the  most  coarse 
and  vulgar  would  shun  with  aversion. 


5.  Leaving  out  hawking,  which  was  a  favorite  pastime  of  the  gen- 
try,  we  may  notice  bear-baitings  and  bull-baitings,  which  consisted  in 
woriying  a  poor  bear  or  bull  with  savage  dogs.  These,  however,  were 
used  only  on  great  occasions,  and  to  entertain  queens  and  princesses. 
Cudgel-playing  and  wrestling  were  the  every-day  amusements. 

6.  Christmas  was  the  chief  time  of  sports ;  in  the  king's  court, 
and  in  the  families  of  the  principal  nobles,  a  leader  of  the  games 
was  elected,  who  had  the  pleasant  title  of  Lord  of  Misrule,  and 
Master  of  Merry  Sports.  The  diversions  over  which  this  mock- 
monarch  presided  were  suited  to  the  taste  of  the  age. 

7.  There  was  a  scrambling  for  nuts  and  apples,  dancing,  playing 
with  hobby  horses,  hunting  owls  and  squirrels,  hot  cocldes,  and 
blind-man's-buff.  Then  there  was  a  stick  moving  on  a  pivot  in  the 
middle,  with  an  apple  at  one  end  and  a  candle  at  the  other,  so  that 
he  who  missed  his  bite,  burned  his  nose. 

8.  The  favorite  amusement,  however,  at  this  season,  was  Mum- 
ming\  ar  Disguising.  At  court  this  was  performed  with  great  splen- 
dor, &r.d  rich  costumes;  but  among  the  common  people  the  diversion 


noceiits'  Day  ?    4,  5.  What  Avere  the  amusements  of  older  people  ?    6.  Who  managed 
the  Ohristmas  sports?    7.  What  were   the  spoits?     8.  What  was  the  faTorite  amuse- 


212  DJRESS    OF   AN    OLD    ENGLISH   GENTLEMAN. 

consisted  in  changing  clothes  between  men  and  women,  who,  when 
dressed  in  each  other's  habits,  went  from  one  neighbor's  house  to 
another,  partaking  of  Christmas  cheer.  This  custom  is  still  kepi 
up  in  some  parts  of  England,  particularly  in  the  northern  counties. 

9.  The  origin  of  stage-plays  was  curious.  There  were  theatrical 
entertainments  long  before  there  were  any  play-houses  or  theatres. 
The  first  public  representation  of  anything  like  a  play  was  exhibited 
as  early  as  1378,  and  was  called  a  Miracle.  It  was  the  history  of 
St.  Catharine,  and  was  performed  by  the  priests  of  Dunstable. 

10.  The  actors  were  attired  in  the  holy  vestments  belonging  to 
the  Abbey  of  St.  Albans.  In  Kichard  II.'s  reign,  the  clergy  of  St. 
Paul's  Church  enacted  a  miracle  before  the  king  and  queen,  which 
lasted  eight  days,  and  in  which*  was  represented  the  greater  part  of 
the  Bible  history. 

11.  Miracles  were  succeeded  by  Mysteries,  in  which  sacred  sub- 
jects were  strangely  jumbled  with  buffoonery.  By  degrees  some 
little  moral  allegory  crept  into  these  entertainments,  and  miracles  and 
mysteries  gave  way  to  Moralities,  which  consisted  of  long,  elaborate 
speeches  from  allegorical  personages,  such  as  Theology,  Adulation, 
Admonition,  &c. 

12.  These  plays  were  performed  in  churches  and  chapels,  and  the 
actors  were  almost  always  ecclesiastics.  There  were,  besides,  some 
secular  plays  performed  in  private  houses,  and  in  the  streets,  by  the 
jugglers,  tumblers,  and  jesters,  whose  business  it  was  to  rove  about 
and  exhibit  their  talents.  There  is  no  mention  of  public  theatres 
till  the  reign  of  Elizabeth.  The  first  regular  play  we  know  of  was 
written  about  1560,  and  is  called  "  Gammer  Gurton's  Needle." 

13.  So  much  for  the  amusements;  now  for  the  dress  of  the  old 
English  gentlemen.  We  left  them  some  time  ago  wearing  long, 
pointed  shoes.  Never  was  fashion  attacked  with  more  violence. 
Laws  were  made,  and  the  clergy  preached,  against  them.  Still 
they  continued  to  be  worn  to  the  time  of  Richard  III.,  after  which 
the  fashion  declined,  and  the  contrary  extreme  became  the  mode. 

14.  All  the  fine  gentlemen  looked  now  as  if  they  had  the  gout; 
for  they  wore  velvet  or  cloth  shoes,  so  very  "broad  that  their  feet 
resembled  platters ;  and  a  law  was  made  forbidding  shoes  to  be 
worn  that  were  more  than  six  inches  across  the  toes.  The  dress  of 
the  men  at  this  period  is  described  as  being  so  "  skrimp  "  and  tight, 
that  fashionable  persons  must  have  resembled  stuffed  figures  more 
than  living  men, 

15.  Their  shoulders  were  stuffed  out  to  make  them  look  broad, 
and  the  waist  was  pinched  in  as  tight  as  could  be  borne.  Oddity 
was  aimed  at  more  than  comfort  or  gracefulness.  With  a  tight 
pinched-in  jacket,  which  was  not  much  longer  than  a  waistcoat, 
such  enormous  long  sleeves  were  worn,  hanging  from  the  elbows, 
that  Edward  IV.  used  to  tie  his  behind  his  back,  to  avoid  tumbling 
over  them  when  he  walked ! 


ment?  9,  10,  11.  Mention  the  different  kinds  of  stage-plays.  12.  Where  were  the.^ 
performed?  What  wa,s  the  first  regular  play?  13,14.  Describe  the  dress  of  a  gentle 
man. 


END   OF   THE    LINE   OF   PLANTAGENET. — 1485. 


213 


CHAPTER    CXVII. 

End  of  the  Line  of  Plantagenet. — General  Character  of  the  Kings.-^ 
Important  Consequences  of  the  Battle  of  Bosworth-field. — Depressior. 
of  the  Nobles. — Jiise  of  the  Commons. 


CROWNING  OF  RICHMOND,  HENRY  VII. 

1.  King  Richard  was  the  last  man  slain  on  the  field  of  Bosworth, 
and  his  death  was  the  signal  of  victory  to  Henry  of  Richmond.  The 
soldiers  who  had  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  the  fugitives  were  re- 
called by  hearing  the  shouts  of  "  Long  live  King  Henry !"  and  on 
returning  to  the  field  of  battle,  they  saw  Sir  William  Stanley, 
brother  to  Lord  Stanley,  placing  on  Henry's  head  the  battered 
crown  that  had  been  struck  off  from  the  helmet  of  Richard. 

2.  With  Richard  ended  the  line  of  Plantagenet  kings,  who  had 
governed  England  for  330  years.  There  were  fourteen  in  all ;  Henry 
II.  and  thirteen  of  his  descendants.  Five  of  these,  John,  Henry 
III.,  Edward  11. ,  Richard  II.,  and  Henry  VI.,  were  feeble  monarchs. 
The  rest  inherited  the  abilities  and  bravery  of  their  great  ancestor, 
and,  with  the  exception  of  Henry  IV.,  who  was  of  a  close  and  sus- 
picious temper,  had  a  frankness  and  openness  of  disposition  which 
endeared  them  to  their  subjects. 


CXVIL— 1.  What  was  the  fate  of  Richard  III.  ?    2.  Who  succeeded  him  ?     How  long 
had  the  Plantagenets  reigned?    What  is  said  of  the  several  kings?    3.  What  two  l»t- 


214  CONDITION     3F   THE   PEOPLE. 1485. 

3.  No  battle  since  that  of  Hastings  had  been  so  important  in  its 
consequences  as  that  of  Bosworth-field.  The  former  brought  in  the 
feudal  system  in  its  most  oppressive  form  ;  the  battle  of  Bosworth 
put  an  end  to  it.  The  reign  of  Henry  VII.  was  the  dawn  of  what 
may  properly  be  called  English  liberty. 

4.  Though  the  Magna  Charta  had  fenced  in  the  nobles  from  the 
tyranny  of  the  king,  yet  the  great  mass  of  the  people  were  for  a  long 
time  after  as  much  exposed  as  before  to  the  oppression  of  the  nobles-;^ 
but  now,  the  power  as  well  as  the  number  of  the  nobles  being  much 
diminished  by  the  long  war  between  the  houses  of  York  and  Lan- 
caster, the  people  began  gradually  to  emerge  from  slavery. 

6.  Henry  hated  because  he  feared  the  nobles,  and  it  was  a  part 
of  his  policy  to  depress  them.  He  restricted  the  number  of  their 
retainers ;  and  thus  that  idle  race  of  people  who  had  before  passed 
their  lives  in  following  some  great  lord  to  the  wars,  or  in  hanging 
about  his  gates  in  time  of  peace,  were  driven  to  employ  themselves 
in  more  industrious  modes^  life,  and  from  helpless  dependants 
became  useful  subjects. 

6.  Commerce,  too,  began^to  make  great  alteration  in  the  condition 
of  persons  in  middle  life;  .and  Henry  greatly  facilitated  their  rise 
into  consequence,  by  lessening  the  strictness  of  entails, — that  is,  the 
descent  of  estates  in  one .ijanj^y,.. from  o^e  generation  to  another, 
without  any  person  being  atHiDerty  to  dispose  of  them. 

7.  Such  a  system  serves  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  particular 
families,  but  is  evidently  adverse  to  the  general  good  of  the  state. 
The  nobles  being  enabled  to  sell  tlieir  estates,  many  of  them  came 
into  the  possession  of  rich  merchants  and  manufacturers. 

8.  With  the  change  of  property  came  a  great  change  in  the  condi- 
tion of  all  classes  of  people.  The  land-owners  found  it  advantageous  to 
commute  the  services  of  the  villeins  for  money,  and  make  them  pay  rent 
for  their  land  and  cottages ;  and  thus  from  villeins  they  became  tenants. 

9.  It  is  very  diflScult  to  trace  every  step  of  the  lower  orders  of  the 
people  from  villeinage,  which  at  some  periods  was  a  state  of  mere 
slavery,  to  freedom.  The  progress  was  so  various  and  so  gradual 
that  the  state  of  villeinage  seemed  to  decline  insensibly,  and  after 
the  time  of  Henry  VII.  we  find  no  more  mention  of  it. 

TABLE  OF  THE  LINE  OF  PLANTAGENET. 


Began  tv  reign. 

Reigned 

1154     . 

.     35  years. 

Henry  11.     Plantagenet. 

1189     . 
1199     . 

.     10 
.     17 

" 

Richard  I.     Coeur  de  Lion,  )  „     ^    n  tj„„      tt 
John  Lackland,                    '  |  Sons  of  Henry  II. 

1216     . 

.     66 

(( 

Henry  TIL,  son  of  John. 

1272     . 

.     35 

a 

Edward  I.,  son  of  Henry  III. 

1307     . 

.     20 

a 

Edward  II.,  son  of  Edward  I. 

1327     . 

.     50 

a 

Edward  III.,  son  of  Edward  II. 

1377     . 

.     22 

(( 

Richard  II.,  son  of  the  Black  Prince,  and  grandson 
of  Edward  III. 

ties  are  mentioned  as  important?  4.  What  is  said  of  the  condition  of  the  mass  of  the 
people?  5.  Wliat  was  Henry's  policy  towards  the  nobles?  6.  What  of  entails?  8 
What  of  the  villeins? 


HENRY   VII. — 1485. 


THE  LANCASTER  BRANCH  OF  THE  FAMILY. 


215 


Began  to  reign.  Reigned. 

1399     .     .     14  years. 


1413 
1422 


1461 

1483 
1483 


Henry  IV.,  of  Lancaster,  cousin  to  Richard  II.j 
and  grandson  of  Edward  III. 
9     "  Henry  V.,  son  of  Henry  IV. 

49     "  Henry  VI.,  son  of  Henry  V. 

THE  YORK  BRANCH   OF  THE  FAMILY. 

22  years.    Edward  IV.,  of  York,  third  cousin  to  Henry  VI., 
and  great-great-grandson  <»f  Edward  III. 
3  m'ths.    Edward  V.,  son  of  Edward  IV. 
2  years.    Richard  III.,  Crook-back,  uncle  of  Edward  V. 


CHAPTER  CXVIII. 

Henry  VII. — Lambert  Simnel  pretends  to  be  Earl  of  Warwick,  ana 
claims  the  Throne. — He  is  defeated  and  made  a  Scullibn  in  Vie  KingU 
Kitchen. — Death  of  Lord  Lovel  in  a  secret  Charnber, 


MARRIAGE  OF  HE;;^RY  VII. 

1.  Henry  VH.,  the  first  of  that  line  of  kings  of  England  called 
the  Tudor  line,  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  gained  the  crown. 
He  was  of  a  tall  and  slender  form,  pale  complexion,  and  a  grave, 
sedate  deportment.  Cold,  cautious,  and  designing,  he  did  not  pos- 
sess one  amiable  quality. 

2.  His  natural  abilities  were  not  brilliant,  but  he  made  up  for 
want  of  quickness  by  unwearied  application,  and  was  rewarded  for 


CXVIII.— 1,  2,  Wlmt  is  said  of  the  character  of  Henry  VI||f     What  were  his  ruling 


216  DEFEAT   OF   SIMNEL. — 1487. 

his  perseverance  by  gaining  a  reputation  for  more  wisdom  tlian  li€ 
possessed.  He  was  an  unkind  husband,  a  careful  but  not  an  affec- 
tionate father,  a  rigorous  master,  and  a  bitter  enemy. 

3.  Two  ruling  passions  swayed  his  conduct  frorn  the  first  hour 
of  his  reign  to  the  end  of  his  life ;  these  were  his  avarice,  and  liis 
hatred  of  the  house  of  York.  The  first  command  he  issued,  even 
before  he  had  left  the  bloody  field  where  he  had  been  proclaimed 
king,  was,  that  persons  should  be  sent  into  Yorkshire  to  seize  young 
Edward  Plantagenet,  Earl  of  Warwick,  son  of  the  Duke  of  Clarence^ 

4.  Henry's  avarice,  though  an  odious  vice  in  itself,  and  particu- 
larly obnoxious  in  a  king,  was  not  without  its  advantages  to  his 
country.  It  led  him  to  encourage  commerce;  and  it  was  he  who 
laid  the  foundations  of  the  British  navy.  A  four-masted  ship, 
called  The  Great  Henry,  was,  properly  speaking,  the  first  ship  in  the 
British  navy,  for  hitherto,  when  the  king  wanted  a  fleet,  he  had  no 
expedient  but  hiring  or  purchasing  ships  from  the  merchants. 

5.  Notwithstanding  his  dislike  to  the  family  of  York,  Henry  soon 
found  that  he  could  not  maintain  himself  on  the  throne  without  ally- 
ing himself  to  it.  He  therefore  renewed  his  old  agreement  to  marry 
the  Princess  Elizabeth.  But  his  reluctance  to  this  union  was  so 
great,  that  he  put  it  off  till  the  following  year.  The  princess  was  a 
great  favorite  with  the  people,  which  gave  much  offence  to  her 
husband,  and  was  one  cause  of  his  unkind  treatment  of  her. 

6.  Henry's  conduct  towards  all  those  who  had  been  connected 
with  the  late  royal  family  naturally  irritated  them  against  him,  and 
iA  1487,  a  scheme  was  contrived,  which  gave  him  for  a  time  much 
vexation  and  trouble.  Lambert  Simnel,  the  son  of  a  baker  of 
Oxford,  was  instructed  to  personate  the  young  Earl  of  Warwick, 
who,  it  was  pretended,  had  escaped  from  the  Tower. 

7.  When  Henry  heard  of  this  mock  Earl  of  Warwick,  he  caused 
the  real  earl  to  be  t^ken  from  his  prison,  and  carried  in  procession 
through  London,  and  permitted  all  who  chose  to  converse  with 
him  This  measure,  though  it  satisfied  the  people  of  England,  did 
not  convince  those  of  Ireland,  by  whom  Simnel  was  proclaimed 
king,  by  the  title  of  Edward  IV. 

8.  Simnel,  with  the  few  nobles  who  joined  him,  and  some  troops 
which  he  had  raised  in  Ireland,  landed  in  Lancashire,  expecting  to 
be  joined  by  the  inhabitants;  but  in  this  he  was  disappointed.  He 
had  advanced  as  far  as  Stoke  without  receiving  any  addition  to  his 
forces,  where  he  was  met  by  Henry,  June  16th,  1487,  and  com- 
pletely defeated.  Simnel,  who  was  taken  prisoner,  received  better 
treatment  than  he  could  have  expected,  for  Henry  contented  him- 
self with  degrading  the  new-made  king  to  be  one  of  the  scullions  in 
his  kitchen. 

9.  Most  of  Simnel's  army  lost  their  lives.  Among  the  few  who 
escaped  from  the  fight  was  Lord  Lovel.  He  was  observed  flying 
towards  the  Trent,  and,  as  he  -was  never  seen  afterwards,  he  was 
thought  to  have  been  drowned  in  crossing  that  river.  , 

passions  7  4.  What  good  effect  did  liis  avai-ice  produce  ?  5.  How  did  lie  try  to  strengthen 
himselt  on  the  throne?  6,  7,  8.  Relate  the  story  »f  Lambert  Simnel.  9,  10.  Relate  the. 
Sate  of  Lord  Lovei.    11, 12;  'What  is  said  of  secret  chambers? 


STORY    OF    PERKIN    WARBECK. 1492.  217 

10.  But  more  than  a  hundred  years  afterwards,  in  pulling  lown 
a  house  that  had  belonged  to  him  in  Oxfordshire,  a  secret  chamber 
was  discovered,  in  Avhich  was  found  the  skeleton  of  a  man,  seated 
in  a  chair,  with  his  head  reclining  on  a  table.  An  empty  jar  and 
a  barrel  were  found  near  it.  It  was  conjectured  that  this  was  the 
skeleton  of  Lord  Lovel,  who  had  contrived  to  escape  to  his  own 
house,  but  from  some  neglect  had  starved  to  death  in  this  secret 
chamber. 

11.  It  would  be  a  hard  matter  to  make  a  chamber  in  a  modern 
liouse,  in  which  a  person  could  be  effectually  concealed;  but  in  those 
days  the  walls  were  thick,  and  the  chimneys  large,  and  the  unquiet 
state  of  the  times  made  secret  chambers  useful,  if  not  necessary. 

12.  Many  a  large  old  house  in  England  doubtless  contains  such  a 
sanctuary.  We  are  told  of  one  in  Nottinghamshire,  which  was  in- 
habited by  a  family  for  some  generations,  without  its  being  known 
that  there  was  a  secret  room  in  the  kitchen  chimney ;  and  it  was 
only  discovered  a  few  years  since,  in  making  some  repairs. 


CHAPTER  CXIX. 

A  new  Impostor  appears. — Adventures  of  Perkin  Warbeck. 

1.  The  old  Duchess  of  Burgundy,  sister  of  Edward  IV.,  finding 
how  many  people  had  been  deceived  by  the  fraud  of  Simnel,  deter- 
mined upon  a  new  project,  contrived  with  more  art  and  plausibility. 
She  first  spread  a  report  that  the  young  Duke  of  York  was  alive, 
and  had  escaped  from  the  Tower. 

2.  She  then  found  a  youth,  named  Perkin  Warbeck,  son  of  a 
Flemish  Jew,  who  bore  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  Plantagenets, 
and  who  had  something  in  his  manners  and  carriage  so  bewitching, 
and  at  the  same  time  so  princely  and  dignified,  that  all  who  con- 
versed with  him  w^ere  fascinated,  and  persuaded  that  he  was  a  prince. 

3.  He  first  presented  himself  at  the  court  of  France,  where  he 
was  well  received  by  the  king.    At  the  demand  of  Henry,  he  ^-as 
dismissed,  but  with  courtesy,  and  then  sought  the  protection  o^ 
aunt,  as  he  called  the  Duchess  of  Burgundy. 

4.  She  received  him  as  if  he  had  been  an  entire  stranger  to  her, 
and  affected  to  disbelieve  his  story ;  then,  as  if  suddenly  convinced 
by  his  answers  to  her  questions,  she  embraced  him  with  a  transport 
of  joy,  exclaiming  that  he  was  indeed  her  long-lost  nephew,  and  be- 
stowed upon  him  the  appellation  of  the  White  Rose  of  England. 

5.  Henry  now  became  anxious  to  convince  the  world  that  the  real 
Duke  of  York  had  been  murdered,  and  he  obtained  the  confession 
of  two  persons,  who  owned  that  they  had  been  concerned  in  putting 

jCXIX. — 1.  W'hat  project  did  the  Duclioss  of  Burgundy  form?     2.  Who  was  selected 
as  the  principal  actor?    3,4.  What  was  the  saccess  of  Warbeck  at  first?    5,3.  Wha* 

19 


218  STORY    OF   PERKIN    WARBECK. — 1  19(\ 

him  to  death.  But  these  confessions  gained  little  credit  at  the  time 
though  they  have  since  received  corroboration,  as  we  have  before 
slated. 

6.  Henry  also  sought  to  ascertain  the  true  history  of  Warbeck ; 
but  the  secret  was  so  well  kept,  and  his  origin  so  obscure,  that  this 
proved  to  be  a  difficult  matter.  At  length  one  of  the  confidants  of 
the  im})ostor  was  won  over.  From  him  Henry  learnt  nearly  the 
whole  history  of  the  conspiracy,  with  the  names  of  all  those  in  Eng- 
land who  had  favored  it. 

7.  The  former  was  publislied  for  the  information  of  the  nation, 
and  those  concerned  were  all  seized  in  one  day,  and  immediately 
tried,  condemned,  and  executed.  Sir  William  Stanley  was  be- 
headed for  having  been  heard  to  say,  that,  "if  he  was  sure  Perkin 
Warbeck  was  the  real  Duke  of  YoVk,  he  would  never  bear  arms 
against  him." 

8.  After  two  ineffectual  attempts  to  get  a  footing  in  England, 
Warbeck  went  to  Scotland,  where  he  was  received  with  the  utmost 
kindness  by  King  James  IV.,  who  engaged  in  his  cause  with  the 
greatest  warmth.  He  also  gave  him  in  marriage  the  Lady  Catha- 
rine Gordon,  one  of  the  most  noble  and  accomplished  ladies  of 
the  age. 

9.  James  did  not  content  himself  with  empty  words,  and  in  Oc- 
tober, 1496,  he  entered  England  with  an  army,  with  the  avowed 
purpose  of  placing  Warbeck  on  the  throne,  and  all  the  English 
were  invited  to  repair  to  the  standard  of  their  rightful  sovereign, 
who  was  proclaimed  king  by  the  title  of  Richard  IV. 

10.  The  Scots  immediately  began  to  plunder,  as  was  their  cus- 
tom, and  Warbeck  expostulated  with  James  on  this  ba,rbarous 
manner  of  carrying  on  the  war,  declaring  that  he  had  rather  lose 
a  crown  than  obtain  it  by  the  ruin  of  his  subjects. 

11.  It  was  expected  that  upon  Warbeck 's  first  appearance  in 
England  all  the  friends  of  the  house  of  York  would  rise  in  his 
favor ;  but,  contrary  to  his  anticipations,  he  found  none  to  assist 
him,  and  was  obliged  to  retreat  towards  Edinburgh.  Henry,  who 
was  at  all  times  a  better  negotiator  than  soldier,  preferred  entering 
into  a  treaty  with  James  to  meeting  him  in  the  field,  and  a  truce 
was  made  between  the  two  monarchs. 


CHAPTER  CXX. 

Conclusion  of  the  Story  of  Pe^'hin  Warbeck. — About  Benevolences. — 
Story  of  the  Alderman  who  refused  to  lend  the  King  Money. 

1.  In  consequence  of  the  treaty  between  the  kings  of  Scotland 
and  England,  Warbeck,  after  thanking  James  for  the  kindness  and 
protection  he  had  afforded  him,  went  to  Ireland,  with  about  a  hun- 

measures  did  Henry  VII.  adopt?     8.  How  was  Warbeck   received  in   Scotlatd?    Jll. 
What  was  Warbeck's  success  in  England? 


EXECUTION   OF   PERKIN   WARBECK. 


■\499. 


219 


dred  and  twenty  followers,  and  his  lovely  wife,  who  would  not  for- 
sake him. 

2.  After  a  few  months  he  returned  to  England,  and  was  joined 
by  about  three  thousand  men,  with  whom  he  laid  siege  to  Exeter. 
A  large  body  of  the  king's  forces  marched  against  him,  and  War- 
beck,  seeing  that  all  resistance  would  be  in  vain,  left  his  companions 
to  take  care  of  themselves  as  they  could,  and  fled  in  the  night  to  a 
sanctuary. 

3.  This  was  soon  surrounded  by  the  royal  troops,  and  Henry 
would  gladly  have  forced  open  the  gates  and  seized  his  victim,  but 
was  persuaded  to  try  to  entice  him  out  by  the  promise  of  sparine 
his  life.  Warbeck,  on  receiving  this  pledge,  gave  himself  up,  and 
was  carried  prisoner  to  the  Tower. 

4.  He  contrived  to  make  his  escape  from  this  prison,  but  was 
soon  taken  and  brought  back.  He  was  then  exposed  upon  a  scaf- 
fold, and  compelled  to  read  aloud  a  written  paper,  in  which  he 
confessed  himself  to  be  an  impostor. 

5.  He  afterwards  found  means  to  have  some  communitation  with 
his  fellow-prisoner,  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  and  a  plan  was  concerted 
between  them  for  their  escape;  but  this  being  discovered,  they 
were  both  executed.  Perkin  Warbeck  was  hung  at  Tyburn,  the 
place  of  execution  for  common  malefactors,  November  23d,  1499  ; 
whilst  Warwick,  from  respect  to  his  undoubted  rank,  was  beheaded 
on  Tower  Hill. 


PEKKIN   WAKBECK  ON  THE  SCAFFOLD. 

6.  It  is  interesting  to  read  of  the  fate  of  Warbeck's  young  and 
beautiful  wife.     After  her  husband  was  carried  to  the  Tower,  Henry 


CXX.— 1.  Whither  did  Warbeck  go  from  Scotland?     Who  accompanied  him  ?    2>  2  4, 
5.  Relate  the  rest  of  his  story.    Wliat  was  the  fate  of  Warlieck?     6,  7.  What  became  of 


220  STORY   OF    THE   ALDERMAN. 

sent  for  her,  and,  hard  as  was  his  heart,  he  seems  to  have  been  toi  ched 
by  her  youth,  her  beauty,  and  her  grief;  for  she  dearly  loved  War- 
beck,  and  was  a  most  dutiful  and  affectionate  wife  to  him. 

7.  The  king  said  some  kind  and  soothing  words  to  her,  and  pre- 
sented her  to  the  queen,  with  whom  she  remained  as  an  attendant. 
She  had  an  am]3le  allowance  made  to  her,  and  was  much  beloved  at 
the  court,  where  she  was  called  "The  White  Rose  of  England." 

8.  Henry,  from  this  time  till  his  death,  was  undisturbed  by  tumults 
at  home  or  by  wars  abroad.  He  was  chiefly  employed  in  amassing 
wealth,  which  he  did  in  every  possible  way.  He  made  many  arbi- 
trary and  vexatious  laws,  and  obliged  those  who  violated  them  in 
the  slightest  particular  to  pay  heavy  fines,  or  suffer  imprisonment. 

9.  These  rapacious  schemes  were  carried  on  by  the  assistance  of 
two  lawyers,  named  Empson  and  Dudley,  whom  he  employed  to 
entrap  the  rich  and  unwary.  He  also  had  increased  his  wealth  by 
means  of  taxes  and  benevolences. 

10.  A  henevoknce  meant  originally  a  voluntary  contribution  for  the 
king's  expenses,  made  amongst  his  immediate  vassals.  Edward  IV. 
extended  it  to  the  whole  kingdom,  and,  though  the  name  implies  its 
being  a  free  gift,  it  became,  in  fact,  a  very  arbitrary  tax,  for  the 
king  could  quarter  soldiers  on  those  who  refused  to  contribute,  and 
could  annoy  them  in  many  other  ways,  which  caused  the  people  to 
call  these  benevolences  malevolences. 

11.  You  will  think  this  name  not  unmerited,  when  you  read  of 
what  happened  to  an  alderman  of  London  in  Henry  VIII.'s  time. 
The  poor  alderman,  because  he  refused  to  contribute  to  a  benevo- 
lence, was  compelled  to  serve  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  war  then 
carrying  on  against  Scotland. 

12.  The  king  sent  a  letter  to  the  general  of  the  army,  command- 
ing that  the  alderman  should  be  lodged  among  the  common  sol- 
diers, and  be  made  to  ride  forth  in  all  difficult  and  dangerous 
enterprises.  His  sufferings  in  this  mode  were  not  of  very  long  con- 
tinuance, for  he  was  taken  prisoner  in  the  first  engagement,  and 
had  to  pay  a  much  larger  sum  for  his  ransom  than  he  had  been 
required  to  contribute  to  the  benevolence. 


CHAPTER  CXXI. 

The  Architecture  of  Henry  VIVs  time. — Of  his  Voyages  of  Discovery, 
—  Columbus  and  the  Cabots. 

1.  By  confiscations  of  the  property  of  those  concerned  in  the  vari- 
ous conspiracies,  by  taxes,  benevolences,  and  fines,  Henry  VII.  ac- 

Warbeck's  wife?     8.  What  is  said  of  the  rest  of  Henry's  reign?    9.  Who  assisted  the 
king  in  his  schemes  to  obtain  money  ?    10.  What  is  said  of  benevolmcos?    11, 12.  Relate 
the  story  of  the  alderman. 
CXXI.— 1.  What  feeling  was  strong  enough  to  overcome  Henry's  iTarice?     How  did 


AECHITECTUKE   OF   HENRY   VII.'s   TxME. — 1485-1509.      221 

quired  immense  wealth,  not  only  in  money,  but  also  in  plate  and 
jewels.  He  kept  it,  with  the  most  anxious  care,  under  his  own  lock 
and  key,  in  secret  apartments  in  the  palace  at  Richmond. 


STYLE  OF  ARCHITECTUKK  AT  THE  TIME  OF  TIENllY   VII. 

2.  There  was  one  feeling  which  was  strong  enough  to  overcome 
his  avarice ;  this  was  the  ambition  of  having  a  splendid  tomb.  With 
this  view,  he  commenced  the  building  of  what  is  now  known  as  Henry 
VII.'s  Chapel,  at  Westminster  Abbey.  The  best  architects  of  the 
age  were  called  upon  to  furnish  designs  for  this  magnificent  building, 
on  which  the  king  did  not  grudge  to  expend  large  sums  of  his  hoarded 
wealth.     It  is  still  one  of  the  most  beautiful  edifices  in  England. 

3.  There  arose  at  this  time  a  remarkable  change  in  the  style  of 
architecture,  through  the  introduction  of  what  has  been  called  the 
florid  style,  but  which  might  with  much  propriety  be  styled  the 
Tudor  style,  since  it  came  in  with  Henry  VII.  and  went  out  with  his 
granddaughter  Elizabeth,  the  last  of  the  Tudors. 

4.  All  the  buildings  of  this  kind  are  very  beautiful,  and  are  suffi- 
ciently distinguished  from  the  Gothic  piles  of  the  Plantagenets,  and 
massy  buildings  of  the  Anglo-Normans,  by  the  flat  arch,  called 
Henry  the  Seventh's  arch,  and  the  profusion  of  ornament  with 
which  every  part  is  loaded. 

5.  We  have  already  stated  that  Henry  gave  great  encouragement 
to  commerce.     By  this  means  he  had  acquired  in  foreign  countries 
the  reputation  of  being  the  most  sagacious,  as  well  as  the  wealthiest, ; 
monarch  of  his  time.     When  Columbus  failed  in  his  endeavors  to  • 


ho  gratify  tho  feeling?    3,  4.  What  change  took  place  in  the  style  of  architecture  ?    5,  6; 
19* 


222  COLUMBUS   AND   THE   CABOTS. 1496. 

obtain  assistance  in  Spain,  in  order  to  enable  him  to  prosecute  his 
voyage  in  search  of  land,  which  he  felt  convinced  he  should  reach 
by' sailing  westward,  he  determined  to  apply  to  Henry. 

6.  Accordingly,  he  sent  his  brother  Bartholomew  to  England  for 
this  purpose ;  but  he  unfortunately  was  taken  by  pirates  on  the  way, 
and  detained  by  them  for  four  years.  At  last,  in  1489,  he  made  his 
escape  and  got  to  England,  but  in  too  destitute  a  condition  to  be 
able  to  present  himself  to  the  king. 

7  His  industry  and  activity  of  mind  soon  furnished  him  with  a 
re*:;urce.  He  set  himself  to  work  to  make  maps  and  sea-charts,  and 
finding  a  ready  sale  for  them,  he  was  able  to  purchase  some  decent 
clothes,  with  which  to  appear  at  court.  Presenting  one  of  his  maps 
to  the  king,  he  requested  an  audience,  which  being  granted,  he  ex- 
plained to  him  all  his  brother's  views  and  wishes. 

8.  Henry  was  so  much  struck  with  their  feasibility,  that  he  agreed 
to  give  Columbus  the  assistance  he  desired,  and  Bartholomew  was 
sent  to  invite  him  to  England.  But  before  he  arrived  in  Spain,  Co- 
lumbus had  already  sailed  on  his  first  voyage,  under  the  patronage 
of  Queen  Isabella. 

9.  Henry  did  not  abandon  the  idea  of  making  discoveries ;  for,  in 
1496,  after  Columbus  had  returned  to  Europe,  with  the  account  of 
what  he  had  seen,  Henry  fitted  out  a  small  fleet,  and  sent  it  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery,  under  the  command  of  John  Cabot,  a  Venetian 
merchant. 

10.  Cabot  sailed  in  a  northwest  direction,  and  the  first  land  he 
saw  was  what  we  call  Newfoundland,  but  which  he  called  Prima 

Vista  (first  seen) ;  he  next  feaw  the  Island  of  St.  John's,  and  sailed 
to  the  south  as  far  as  Virginia,  and  then  returned  to  England,  where 
the  king  received  him  with  great  honor. 

11.  Cabot  was  in  fact  the  first  discoverer  of  the  continent  of 
America ;  for  Columbus,  who  certainly  deserves  all  the  honor  of  the 
discovery,  since  he  pointed  out  the  way  to  it,  had  not,  at  the  time 
of  Cabot's  first  voyage,  seen  any  part  of  America,  except  some  of 
the  islands. 

12.  John  Cabot  had  a  son,  named  Sebastian,  who  was  a  greater 
navigator  than  his  father.  He  accompanied  him  in  his  voyage  tc 
America,  and,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  was  employed  on  many 
important  occasions,  and  became  highly  celebrated  in  his  vocation. 
His  merit  and  knowledge  procured  him  great  consideration  in  Eng- 
land. 

r,  8.  Relate  the  particulars  of  Columbus'  application  to  Henry.  9,  10.  What  is  said  of 
John  Cabot?  11.  What  continent  did  he  discover?  Why  is  Columbus  entitled  to  th« 
Most  credit?     12.  What  is  said  of  Sebastian  Cabot? 


JJLATll    OF    ilENKY    VII. — 150'J. 


22<i 


CHAPTER   OXXII. 

Death  of  Henrij  VII. — IVie  Star  Chamber. 


THE  STAR   CllAMBKK. 

1.  In  1500,  the  king's  eldest  daughter,  Margaret,  married  James 
IV.  of  Scotland,  and  it  was  from  this  marriage  that  the  Stuarts  de- 
rived their  title  to  the  crown  of  England.  In  1501,  his  eldest  son, 
Arthur,  married  Catharine  of  Anjou,  daughter  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  the  King  and  Queen  of  Spain  ;  but  in  the  following  spring 
the  young  prince  died,  and  Henry,  unwilling  to  lose  the  marriage 
portion  of  the  Spanish  princess,  married  her  to  his  other  son, 
Henry,  a  boy  of  eleven  years. 

2.  A  new  means  of  increasing  his  wealth  now  offered  itself  to 
Henry;  this  was  by  marrying  an  heiress;  for  his  wife,  the  Princess 
Elizabeth,  was  dead.  The  Queen  of  Naples  was  reputed  to  be  im- 
mensely rich,  and  he  accordingly  made  proposals  to  her.  But 
before  the  final  arrangements  had  been  made,  he  ascertained  that  he 
had  been  deceived  in  regard  to  her  wealth,  and  withdrew  his  offer. 

3.  A  violent  attack  of  the  gout  gave  Henry  warning  that  all  his 
schemes  of  revenge,  avarice,  and  ambition  would  soon  be  brought 
to  a  close.  He  now  devoted  the  remnant  of  his  life  to  prepara- 
tions for  the  awful  change  he  had  to  expect;  but  even  his  dying 
acts  were  tinctured  by  that  calculating,  money-loving  spirit  which 
had  governed  his  life. 

CXXII. — 1.  When  and  to  whom  was  the  king's  eldest  daughter  married?    What  is  said 


224  HENRY   VIII. — 1509. 

4.  Amongst  other  things,  he  ordered  that  two  thousand  prayers 
should  be  said  for  him,  for  which  no  more  than  sixpence  apiece 
was  to  be  paid.  One  or  two  of  his  bequests,  however,  show  some- 
thing like  a  conscience.  He  ordered  that  restitution  should  be 
made  to  those  persons  from  whom  Empson  and  Dudley  had  ex- 
torted more  than  the  law  would  warrant. 

5.  He  also  ordered  the  debts  to  be  paid  of  all  persons  who  were 
imprisoned  in  London  for  sums  under  forty  shillings.  He  died  on 
the  21st  of  April,  1509,  in  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  his  reign,  and 
the  fifty-fourth  of  his  age. 

6.  Though  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.  was  on  the  whole  favorable  to 
liberty,  there  was  one  institution  of  his  which  proved,  as  we  shall  see 
in  the  course  of  our  history,  an  instrument  of  the  greatest  oppression. 
This  was  the  Star  Chamber ,  an  arbitrary  court  of  law,  in  which  the 
king  used  to  attend  in  person  as  judge.  It  was  called  the  Star  Cham- 
ber, from  the  decorations  of  the  room  in  which  the  sessions  were  held. 

FAMILY  OF  HENRY  YII. 
WIFE. 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Edward  IV. 

SONS. 
Arthur,  who  was  espoused  to  Catharine  of  Anjou,  and  died  before  his  father. 
Henry,  who  succeeded  his  father  on  the  throne. 

DAUGHTERS. 
Margaret,  married  to  James  IV.,  of  Scotland,  and  afterwards  to  Douglas,  Earl 

of  Angus. 
Mary,  married  first  to  Louis  XII.,  of  France ;  afterwards  to  the  Duke  of 

Sufi"olk. 


Edward  VI.,  ] 

Mary,  >  Children  of  Henry 

Elizabeth,      J 


GRANDCHILDREN. 
VIII. 


James  V.,  of  Scotland,  father  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  "j   Children 

Margaret  Douglas,  mother  of  Henry   Darnley,   and  of  Charles  >         of 

Stuart,  father  of  Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  J  Margaret. 

Margaret  Brandon,  daughter  of  Mary,  and  the  mother  of  Lady  Jane  Grey. 

CHAPTER  CXXIII.         ^ 

Henry  VIII. — Happy  Circumstances  under  which  he  came  to  the 
Throne. — Bise  of  Wolsey. 

1.  There  was  great  joy  in  England  at  the  accession  of  Henry 
VIII. ;  for  his  father  had  incurred  the  hatred  of  the  people  by  his  jeal- 
ousy, his  severity,  and  his  avarice.    The  new  king  was  only  eighteen 

of  the  marriage  of  his  sons  ?    2.  What  o '  his  own  marriage  ?    5.  When  did  he  die  ?    Whai 
iras  the  length  of  his  reign  ?    What  his  age  ? 


CARDINAL   W0L8EY. — 1509. 


2^5 


years  old,  but  he  gave  the  most  promising  hopes  of  making  a  good 
sovereign,  by  the  progress  he  had  made  in  his  literary  studies;  for 
he  had  received  what  was  then  thought  a  good  education,  and  had 
more  learning  than  most  princes  of  his  time. 

2.  He  was  distinguished  for  the  strength  and  beauty  of  his  per- 
son, and  for  his  skill  in  all  athletic  exercises.  Hi*  complexion  was 
fresh  and  ruddy,  and  the  animation  of  his  manner  appeared  to 
great  advantage,  after  the  gloom  and  reserve  of  the  late  king. 

3.  The  contending  titles  of  York  and  Lancaster  were  united  in 
his  person ;  his  father  had  left  him  an  enormous  treasure,  and  the 
country  was  free  from  foreign  and  from  domestic  wars.  In  short, 
no  king  of  England  ever  began  to  reign  under  more  prosperous 
circumstances.  But  though  free  from  all  external  foes,  he  had  one 
implacable  enemy  that  pursued  him  from  the  earliest  to  the  latest 
hour  of  his  life,  and  that  enemy  was  his  own  violent  temper. 

4.  The  naturally  lavish  disposition  of  the  young  king  made  him 
yield  readily  to  the  influence  of  the  Earl  of  Surrey,  who  sought  to 
engage  him  in  such  a  course  of  amusements  as  might  make  him 
negligent  of  public  business,  and  willing  to  trust  the  affairs  of  state 
entirely  to  his  ministers. 


CARDINAL  WOLSIiV 


5.  The  hoarded  wealth  of  Henry  VII.  was  rapidly  squandered  in 
tournaments  and  other  expensive  entertainments,  to  the  great  grief 
of  his  son's  careful  counsellor,  Fox,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  who, 
finding  remonstrances  unavailing,  introduced  at  court  Thomas 
Wolsey,  who  had  already  shown  himself  to  be  a  very  shrewd  and 
dexterous  man,  by  whose  assistance  he  hoped  to  counteract  the 


CXXIII. — 1,  2.  What  is  said  of  Henry  A'lII.'s  character?    3.  Under  what  circumstancea 
(lid  he  ascend  the  throne?    4,  5.  What'is  said  of  his  early  conduct?     How  did  Fox  try  to 


226  CARDINAL    WOLSEY. — 1509-1512, 

influence  of  Surrey  and  to  restrain  the  follies  of  the  youthful 
king. 

6.  AVolsey,  who  for  a  time  acted  a  more  important  part  in  the 
affairs  of  the  world  than  even  his  master,  was  the  son  of  a  butcher 
at  Ipswich.  The  great  abilities  and  the  fondness  for  study  which 
he  showed  in  his  childhood,  led  to  his  being  sent  to  the  University 
of  Oxford,  where  he  took  his  first  degree  at  so  early  an  age  as  to  be 
called  the  boy  bachelor. 

7.  Having  filled  various  stations  with  great  reputation,  he  came 
at  last  to  be  made  one  of  the  king's  chaplains.  His  merit  was  not 
long  overlooked  by  Henry  VIII.,  who,  having  occasion  to  send  to 
the  Emperor  of  Germany  upon  a  matter  that  required  despatch,  as 
well  as  adroitness,  selected  Wolsey  for  the  office. 

8.  The  latter,  having  received  his  instructions,  set  off  on  his 
journey,  and  made  such  haste,  that  he  was  back  again  on  the 
third  day,  and  presented  himself  at  court.  The  king,  who  was  not 
used  to  such  despatch  in  his  courtiers,  blamed  him  for  not  being 
yet  gone,  since  the  matter  required  haste ;  to  which  Wolsey  replied 
by  presenting  him  with  the  emperor's  answer. 

9.  The  king  wondered  much  at  his  speed,  but  then  asked  him  if 
he  had  met  a  messenger,  who  had  been  sent  after  him  to  inform 
him  of  a  special  matter  which  had  been  forgotten  in  his  instructions. 

10.  To  which  Wolsey  answered,  "  May  it  please  your  grace,  I 
met  him  yesterday  by  the  way,  but  that  matter  I  had  attended 
to  before,  taking  the  boldness  to  do  it  without  authority,  as  know 
ing  it  to  be  of  special  consequence ;  for  which  boldness  I  humbly 
entreat  your  grace's  pardon."  The  king  not  only  pardoned  him, 
but  bestowed  upon  him  a  lucrative  office. 

11.  Wolsey  soon  acquired  an  unbounded  influence  over  Henry 
VIII.;  but  he  made  a  very  different  use  of  it  from  what  Bishop 
Fox  had  intended ;  for  he  employed  only  it  to  encourage  the  king's 
follies  and  to  promote  his  own  advancement.  He  was  soon  made 
Archbishop  of  York,  and  chancellor. 

12.  The  ignorant  of  all  ranks  attributed  this  influence  to  witch- 
craft, but  more  discerning  men  perceived  that  flattery  was  the  art 
which  Wolsey  used.  He  affected  to  look  up  to  Henry  as  the  wisest 
of  mortals.  He  promoted  his  amusements,  and  joined  in  them 
with  the  gayety  of  youth ;  thus,  making  himself  agreeable  as  well 
as  useful,  he  ruled  for  ten  years,  with  absolute  sway,  one  of  the  most 
capricious  and  passionate  of  men. 

counteract  the  influence  of  Surrey?  6.  Who  was  Wolsey?  What  of  his  early  life?  8, 
9, 10.  What  anecdote  is  related  of  his  skill  in  business?  11, 12.  What  of  his  influence 
Ifith  Henry  VIII.? 


MOilE   ABOUT   CARDINAL   WOLSEY.  22V 


CHAPTEE    CXXIV. 

More  about  Cardinal  Wolsey. —  Untoward  Accident  which  befell  a  Dig^ 
nitary  of  the  Church. —  Wolsey  and  the  young  Nobleman. 

1.  The  pope,  observing  the  great  influence  which  Wolsey  had 
with  the  king,  was  desirous  of  engaging  him  in  his  interest,  and 
made  him  a  cardinal.  Never  did  a  churchman  equal  him  in  state 
and  dignity.  His  train  consisted  of  eight  hundred  servants,  of 
whom  many  were  knights  and  gentlemen,  and  the  young  nobles 
served  as  his  pages. 

2.  He  was  the  first  clergyman  in  England  that  wore  silk  and  gold, 
not  only  on  his  dress,  but  also  on  the  saddles  and  the  trappings  of  his 
horses.  The  tallest  and  handsomest  priests  were  selected  to  carry 
before  him  the  badges  of  his  different  offices.  All  this  ostentation, 
instead  of  awing  the  j^eople,  only  excited  their  merriment,  and  this 
was  increased  by  an  accident  which  happened  to  a  brother  cardinal. 

3.  Pope  Leo  X.  sent  a  cardinal  to  solicit  Henry  to  engage  in  a 
war  against  the  Turks.  Wolsey,  hearing  of  his  arrival  at  Calais 
with  a  retinue  in  a  pretty  ragged  condition,  sent  over  a  quantity  of 
red  cloth,  to  enable  them  to  make  an  appearance  more  becoming, 
as  he  conceived,  the  dignity  of  their  lord. 

4.  Wolsey  gave  directions  for  the  reception  of  the  ambassador  at 
Dover  with  great  distinction,  but  was  much  mortified  at  finding 
that  eight  mules  could  bear  all  his  baggage.  Thinking  these  not 
enough  for  his  honor,  he  sent  him  twelve  more. 

5.  "But  now,"  as  the  old  chronicler  says,  "see  the  shame  of 
pride ;  for  as  they  passed  through  Cheapside,  in  London,  the  mules 
by  some  mischance  overthrew  their  cofiers  on  the  ground,  whose  lids 
flying  open,  showed  the  world  what  treasure  it  was  that  they  carried, 
— old  breeches,  boots,  and  broken  shoes,  bones  and  crusts  of  bread  ; 
exposing  him  to  the  laughter  of  all  the  people ;  yet  the  cardinal  went 
jogging  on  before,  with  his  crosses,  his  gilt  axe  and  mace,  borne 
before  him." 

6.  Wolsey  was  very  courteous  to  his  dependants,  and  those  who 
flattered  and  assisted  him,  but  oppressive  to  the  people,  and  haughty 
and  arrogant  in  his  treatment  of  the  nobility.  This  conduct  some- 
times met  with  a  mortifying  rebuff. 

7.  An  extravagant  young  nobleman,  having  lately  sold  an  estate 
containing  a  hundred  houses,  came  ruffling  into  court  in  a  new  suit  of 
clothes,  saying,  "  Am  not  I  a  mighty  man,  that  bear  a  hundred  houses 
on  my  back?"  which  Wolsey  hearing,  said,  "You  might  better  have 
employed  it  in  paying  your  debts."  "  Indeed,  my  lord,"  says  the 
no>/,e,  "you  say  well;  for,  my  lord,  my  father  owed  to  your  father 
three  half-pence  for  a  calf  s-head ;  hold,  here  is  two-pence  for  it." 

8.  Nothing  short  of  the  popedom  would  satisfy  the  ambition  of 


CXXIV.— 1.  What  of  Wolscy's  stylo  of  living?    3,  4,  5.  Relate  the  accident  which 
oefell  the  pope's  ambassador.    6,  7-  Relate  thp-vanecdote  of  Wolsey  and  the  young  noble 


'4L//<  <?5^f  >*'-i 


228  HENRY    VIII.    INVAUES    FRANCE. — 1513. 

Wolsey.  To  procure  the  favor  of  the  foreign  princes  by  whose 
patronage  he  hoped  to  obtain  it,  he  sacrificed  the  interebts  of  his 
own  country,  and  made  the  king  his  perpetual  dupe. 

9.  Wolsey  was  a  liberal  patron  of  letters.  Erasmus,  a  very 
learned  man,  who  went  from  Holland  to  teach  Greek  at  Oxford, 
tells  us  that  "  this  extraordinary  man  had  a  genius  and  a  taste  for 
learning,  in  which  he  had  made  great  proficiency  in  his  youth,  and 
for  which  he  retained  a  regard  in  the  highest  elevation." 

10.  He  invited  the  most  learned  men  by  his  noble  salaries.  He 
furnished  the  libraries  with  the  best  books  of  that  day.  He  recalled 
the  learned  languages,  without  which  all  learning  is  lame.  H«, 
began  the  erection  of  a  college  at  Oxford,  intending  to  call  it  Car 
dinal  College ;  but  he  did  not  retain  his  power  long  enough  to  finish 
it.  Henry  VIII.  seized  upon  its  remains,  and,  completing  the 
building,  took  to  himself  the  credit  of  establishing  it. 


CHAPTER    CXXV. 

Henry  invades  France. — Battle  of  the  Spurs. — Battle  of  Flodden  Field. 
— The  Emperor  Charles  V.  visits  England, — The  Field  of  the  Cloth 
of  Gold. 

1.  Henry  aspired  to  the  fame  of  being  a  great  warrior.  After 
making  immense  preparations,  in  1513  he  landed  at  Calais.  From 
thence  he  proceeded  to  lay  siege  to  Terouanne.  A  body  of  French 
troops  was  sent  to  the  succor  of  the  town.  Henry,  hearing  of  their 
approach,  sent  some  troops  to  oppose  them. 

2.  Notwithstanding  the  French  troops  consisted  of  men  whose 
courage  had  been  tried  in  many  desperate  battles,  they  fled  so  pre- 
cipitately at  the  approach  of  the  English,  that  the  engagement  has 
been  called  the  Battle  of  the  Spurs. 

3.  Scarcely  ever  was  the  French  monarchy  in  greater  danger 
than  after  this  defeat ;  for  it  was  in  no  condition  to  defend  itself 
against  the  powerful  army  of  Henry.  But  that  monarch's  passion 
for  military  glory  was  already  satisfied,  and,  after  taking  Tournay, 
he  returned  to  England.  ^ 

4.  Upon  the  same  day  that  Tournay  was  taken,  a  battle  was 
fought  at  Flodden,  between  James  IV.  of  Scotland,  and  an  English 
army  under  Lord  Surrey,  afterwards  Duke  of  Norfolk.  This  is  the 
battle  of  Flodden  Field,  so  celebrated  in  the  old  ballads;  and  so 
finely  described  by  Scott  in  the  poem  of  Marmion.  The  Scots  were 
defeated,  and  James  was  killed. 


man.    8.  What  was  now  the  object  of  Wolsey's  amljition  ?    9, 10.  What  of  his  patronage 
of  learning? 

CXXV. — 1.  When  did  Henry  invade  France?     2.  What  name  is  given  to  a  battle  with 
the  French?     Why?    4.  What  battle  was  foiie:ht  in   Scotland?     With   what  result? 


TITE    FIELL>    OF   THE   CLOTH    OF    GOLD. 1520. 


229 


5.  Upon  the  death  of  Louis  XII.,  in  1515,  Francis  I.  became 
King  of  France,  and  in  1517,  Charles  V.  became  King  of  Spain, 
and  soon  afterwards  Emperor  of  Germany.  Both  these  princes 
were  young,  j^ossessed  of  great  talents  and  boundless  ambition. 
Each  courted  and  cajoled  Henry,  whose  blunt  and  open  character 
was  no  match  for  either  of  them. 

6.  Francis  hoped  by  a  personal  interview  to  secure  the  favor  of 
Henry,  and  therefore  invited  that  monarch  to  meet  him  near  Calais. 
But  Charles  was  beforehand  with  him.  For,  as  soon  as  he  heard 
of  the  proposed  meeting,  he  started  for  England,  and  landed  at 
Dover,  with  a  small  attendance,  before  Henry  had  received  any 
intimation  of  his  purpose. 

7.  In  those  days  it  showed  great  confidence  in  a  monarch's  honor, 
thus  to  place  one's  self  in  his  power,  and  the  compliment  thus  paid 
by  Charles  was  not  without  its  influence  upon  the  vain  Henry.  By 
flattering  the  latter,  and  by  bribing  Wolsey  with  gifts  and  promises, 
Charles  detached  them  from  the  interests  of  France.  He  then  went 
on  his  way  to  his  possessions  in  Holland,  and  Henry  proceeded  to 
Calais,  to  meet  the  French  king.  This  meeting  took  place  ip  June, 
1520,  in  a  plain  near  that  city. 


THE  MEETING  OF  HENRY    AND   FRANCIS. 

8.  Two  thousand  and  eight  hundred  tents,  many  of  them  of  silk 
and  cloth  of  gold,  were  not  suflTicient  to  contain  the  multitudes  who 
flocked  to  this  splendid  festival ;  and  many  ladies  and  gentlemen 


5.  When  did  Louis  XII.  die?    Who  succeeded  him?     What  of  Francis  I.  and  Charles  V.? 

6.  What  did  Francis  propose  to  Henry?    What  did  Charles  do?    7.  What  of  Charles' 


20 


230  THE   SALE   OF    INDULGENCES. 1620. 

of  rank  were  glad  to  obtain  a  lodging  in  barns,  and  to  sleep  upon 
iiay  and  straw.  The  French  and  English  vied  with  one  another  in 
the  splendor  of  their  dresses,  and  this  meeting  is  celebrated  as  the 
''Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold:' 

9.  It  continued  a  fortnight,  and  was  a  succession  of  entertain- 
ments. At  first  the  two  monarchs  met,  attended  by  their  trains, 
and  passed  the  day  together,  according  to  the  formal  etiquette  pre- 
scribed by  Wolsey,  who  acted  as  master  of  ceremonies. 

10.  But  such  dull  parade  did  not  suit  the  frank  and  ardent  spirit 
of  Francis,  and,  after  two  or  tliree  of  these  interviews,  he  mounted 
his  horse  o«ie  morning  early,  and  rode  off  to  the  quarters  of  Henry. 
The  English,  who  were  on  guard,  were  astonished  to  see  the  King 
of  France  at  that  hour,  and  without  attendants ;  but  Francis  de- 
sired to  be  conducted  to  Henry's  apartment,  and,  undrawing  his 
bed-curtains,  awoke  him  out  of  his  sleep. 

11.  Henry  was  as  much  amazed  as  his  guards  had  been;  and 
from  that  time  the  intercourse  was  conducted  with  more  freedom, 
as  it  will  appear  from  a  little  incident.  One  day,  after  the  two 
kings  had  been  looking  at  a  wrestling-match,  Henry,  seizing  Francis 
by  the  collar,  said,  "  My  brother,  you  and  I  must  wrestle,"  and  en- 
deavored to  throw  him  down  ;  but  Francis,  being  the  more  expert, 
nimbly  twisted  Henry  round,  and  threw  him  to  the  ground. 

12.  Though  Henry  affected  to  consider  this  as  a  pleasant  joke, 
yet  he  was  greatly  vexed,  and  never  forgave  it.  The  two  kings 
separated  on  the  '25th  of  June,  and  more  ceremonious  visits  were 
then  exchanged  between  the  Em^jeror  Charles  and  Henry.  Amidst 
the  tournaments  and  splendid  entertainments  to  -which  these  gave 
occasion,  Charles  never  lost  sight  of  his  own  interests,  but  sought  to 
make  sure  the  favor  he  had  gained  with  Henry  and  his  ambitious 
minister.  I 


CHAPTEE  CXXVI. 

Henry  VIII.  writes  a  Book  against  the  Reformation. — About  Anne 
Boleyn. —  Thomas  Oranmer  rises  into  notice. — Disgrace  and  Death 
of  Wolsey. 

1.  In  every  age  there  had  been  some  men,  more  enlightened  than 
the  great  mass,  who  had  protested  against  the  assumptions  of  the 
see  of  Rome,  as  well  as  the  immorality  of  the  clergy.  But  it  was  not 
until  the  age  at  which  we  have  now  arrived  that  any  very  extensive 
effects  were  produced. 

2.  Pope  Leo  X.,  having  occasion  for  a  great  deal  of  money  to 
carry  on  the  building  of  the  magnificent  church  of  St.  Peter  ai 
Rome,  attempted  to  raise  it  by  the  sale  of  indulgences,  or  licenses  to 

visit  to  England?     8.  What  of  tho  interview  between  Henry  and  Francis?     10,  11.  What 
did  Francis  do  to  get  rid  of  the  formality?    12.  What  of  the  final  interview  between 
Henry  and  Charles? 
CXXVI.— 2.  What  were  indulgences?     3.  Who  opposed  tho  sale  of  them?     4.  What 


I 


ANNE   BOLEYN. — 152], 


23i 


sin,  as  they  have  been  called ;  for  these  indulgences  were  under- 
stood not  only  to  pardon  past  sins,  but  those  that  might  after- 
wards be  committed.  No  doubt  the  sellers  of  these  indulgences 
somewhat  stretched  their  authority,  but  still  it  is  evident  that  they 
were  in  the  main  sanctioned  by  the  head  of  the  church. 

3.  Martin  Luther,  himself  a  monk,  was  induced  to  oppose  the 
rfale  of  these  indulgences,  and  proceeding  by  degrees,  he  at  length 
ventured  boldly  to  deny  the  authority  of  the  pope  to  issue  them. 
He  found  ready  converts  to  these  opinions,  and  the  Reformation^  as 
it  is  called,  made  rapid  progress. 

4.  In  1521,  Henry  appeared  in  the  field,  as  an  author,  against 
what  he  deemed  the  new  heresies.  He  wrote  a  Latin  book,  which 
was  presented  with  great  ceremony  to  Leo,  who  rewarded  the  royal 
author  with  the  title  of  "  Defender  of  the  Faith,'^  and  sent  him  a 
letter,  praising  his  ''  wisdom,  learning,  zeal,  charity,  gravity,  gentle- 
ness, and  meekness," — most  of  which  epithets  few  people  could 
less  deserve. 

5.  But  a  change  in  the  relations  between  the  king  and  the  pope 
was  soon  to  take  place,  and  we  shall  see  the  consequences.  At  the 
court  of  Henry  was  a  beautiful  young  lady,  named  Anne  Boleyn, 
who  had  been  educated  at  the  French  court,  and  who  had  returned 
with  her  English  beauty  adorned  by  French  grace  and  vivacity. 


JIKMiY    VIII.   AND  ANNE  BOLEYN. 


6.  The  king  was  captivated  by  her  charms,  and  sought  for  some 
pretext  upon  which  he  could  be  separated  from  his  wife,  that  he 
might  marry  Anne.  This  was  soon  found,  and  Wolsey  was  sent  to 
the  pope  10  sue  for  a  divorce  upon  the  ground  of  Catharine's  pre- 
vious marriage  with  PAnce  Arthur. 

did  Henry  VTTI.  r]o?     5,  6.  What  led  to  a  change  in  the  relations  between  Henry  and  th« 


232 


THOMAS    CRANMER. 1628. 


7.  The  pope,  unwilling  to  displease  the  emperor,  who  was  the 
nephew  of  Catharine,  declined  giving  a  decided  answer,  and,  after 
keeping  Henry  in  suspense  for  a  year,  sent,  in  1528,  Cardinal  Cam- 
peggio  to  England,  to  decide,  in  concert  with  Wolsey,  the  validity 
of  the  king's  marriage  with  Catharine. 

8.  Campeggio  tried  to  settle  the  difficulty  by  private  negotiation. 
He  first  addressed  himself  to  the  king,  and  exhorted  him  to  give  up 
the  thoughts  of  a  divorce.  Not  succeeding  in  this,  he  sought  to 
prevail  on  Catharine  to  retire  to  a  nunnery ;  but  with  her  he  was  also 
unsuccessful.  After  another  year  of  delays,  the  two  cardinals  pro- 
ceeded to  a  trial ;  but  they  seemed  unwilling  to  come  to  a  decision. 
The  king's  patience  was  nearly  exhausted,  and  it  now  became  ap- 
parent to  the  courtiers  that  Wolsey's  favor  was  waning. 

9.  It  chanced  about  this  time  that  Gardiner  and  Fox,  two  of  the 
king's  servants,  fell  by  accident  in  company  with  a  young  priest, 
named  Thomas  Cranmer.  The  conversation  turned  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  the  king's  divorce.  Cranmer  at  first  declined  any  opinion 
about  it,  but,  being  pressed,  said  he  would  spend  no  time  in  nego- 
tiating with  the  pope,  but  would  propose  to  the  most  learned  men 
in  Europe  this  plain  question,  "Can  a  man  marry  his  brother's 
widow  ?" 

10.  The  two  doctors  were  much  struck  with  this  hint,  and  men- 
tioned it  to  the  king,  who  exclaimed,  in  his  blunt  way,  "  that  Cran- 
mer had  got  the  right  i^ow  by  the  earP     Cranmer  was  at  once  taken 


DKATH    OF   WOI.se Y. 


into  the  service  of  the  king,  and  engaged  to  write  a  book  in  favor 
of  the  divorce.  * 


pope?     7,  8.  How  did  the  popo  seek  to  avoid  a  quarrel  ?     9,  10.  "What  brought  Cruunio.; 


HENR^    MARRIES    ANNE   BOLEYN. 1533.  233 

11.  From  this  time  Wolsey's  influence  declined.  Anne  Boleyn, 
who  suspected  that  he  opposed  her  elevation  to  the  throne,  joined 
his  enemies,  of  whom  his  pride  and  arrogance  had  created  many. 
Such  secrecy  was  used,  that  Wolsey's  first  knowledge  of  their  pro- 
ceedings was  an  indictment  brought  against  him  with  the  king's 
consent. 

12.  All  his  property,  even  his  clothes,  and  a  tomb  which  he  had 
prepared  for  himself  at  Windsor,  was  seized  by  the  king,  and  he 
was  himself  banished  from  court.  Henry's  resentment,  however, 
soon  subsided,  and  he  sent  Wolsey  a  general  pardon,  restoring  a 
portion  of  his  revenues,  but  requiring  hira  to  reside  at  York. 

13.  But  adversity  had  not  cured  him  of  his  love  of  magnificence, 
which  again  drew  on  him  the  king's  displeasure.  He  was  now 
arrested  for  high  treason.  His  anxiety  threw  him  into  a  violent 
fever;  in  which  condition  he  set  out  on  his  journey  to  the  Tower. 
On  the  third  day  he  arrived  at  Leicester  Abbey,  and  Wolsey  said 
to  the  abbot,  who  came  to  the  gate  to  receive  him,  "  My  father,  I 
am  come  to  lay  my  bones  among  you." 

14.  He  was  lifted  from  his  mule,  and  carried  to  his  bed,  from 
which  he  never  rose.  He  died  November  29th,  1530.  On  his 
death -bed  he  uttered  these  affecting  words :  "Had  I  served  my  God 
as  diligently  as  I  have  served  my  king,  he  would  not  have  left  me 
in  my  gray  hairs." 


CHAPTER  CXXVII. 

Henry  VIII.  marries  Anne  Boleijn,  and  is  declared  Head  of  the 
English  Church. —  The  Monasteries  dissolved. — Sir  Thomas  More. — 
Death  of  Anne  Boleyn. — Marriage  and  Death  of  Jane  Seymour. 

1.  From  the  time  of  Wolsey's  disgrace,  Henry  was  busily  em- 
ployed in  collecting  the  opinions  of  learned  men  on  the  subject 
of  the  divorce.  But  delay  after  delay  was  made  by  the  clergy, 
and  two  more  years  passed  without  the  business  being  at  all 
advanced. 

2.  In  1533,  Cranmer  was  made  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and 
proceeded  to  try  the  question.  A  sort  of  court  was  assembled,  and, 
after  a  fortnight  spent  in  hearing  arguments,  sentence  of  divorce 
was  pronounced,  declaring  that  the  marriage  was  not  valid  from 
the  beginning,  and  that  Mary,  daughter  of  Catharine,  was  not  an 
heir  to  the  crown. 

3.  The  poor  queen  retired  to  Ampthill,  where  she  died  in  1536, 
and  the  king  was  publicly  married  to  Anne  Boleyn.  The  news  of 
the  sentence  excited  violent  commotion  at  Eome.    The  pope  at  first 

Into  notice?    11,12.  What  now  befell  Wolsey?     13,14.  Relate  the  particulars  of  hia 
death. 
CXXVII.— 1,  2.  When  was  the  matter  of  the  king's  divorce  settled?    3.  What  did 
20* 


234 


SIR   THOMAS   MORE. 1636. 


was  doubtful  what  to  do,  but  at  length  issued  an  angry  decree,  de- 
clarino;  the  marriao;e  with  Catharine  to  be  valid. 


111 


UENHY   VIII.   BKCOMES   HEAD  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

4.  He  soon  saw  the  political  error  he  had  committed ;  for  Henry, 
in  a  violent  passion,  called  a  parliament,  which  transferred  the 
supremacy  of  the  Church  of  England  from  the  pope  to  the  king, 
and  with  it  all  the  revenues  that  had  hitherto  accrued  to  the  see  of 
Rome.  The  monasteries  and  nunneries  were  also  dissolved,  and 
their  possessions  bestowed  upon  the  king. 

5.  Commissioners  were  sent  over  the  kingdom,  requiring  all  per- 
sons to  subscribe  the  act  that  had  declared  the  king  to  be  the  head 
of  the  church/  Sir  Thomas  More,  and  Fisher,  Bishop  of  Roches- 
ter, both  men  of  great  learning  and  wisdom,  refused  to  subscribe, 
and  were  consequently  belieaded. 

6.  Sir  Thomas  was  one  of  the  most  learned  and  virtuous  men 
of  his  age.  He  gave  proofs  at  an  early  period  of  his  genius,  and 
great  pains  were  taken  with  his  education.  When  he  was  about 
twenty,  he  became  a  religious  devotee,  wore  a  hair  shirt,  slept  upon 
boards,  and  had  a  great  inclination  to  become  a  monk. 

7.  In  conformity,  however,  with  his  father's  commands,  which  he 
never  disobeyed,  he  gave  up  his  own  pleasure,  and  applied  himself 
to  the  study  of  the  law.  He  soon  became  conspicuous  for  hi? 
eloquence,  and  was  employed  in  every  important  cause. 

8.  In  the  midst  of  the  greatest  hurry  of  business,  in  which  his 
whole  day  was  occupied,  he  stole  time  from  his  sleep  to  pursue  his 
favorite  studies,  and  to  compose  his  Utopia,  which  excited  univer- 
sal admiration.  Henry  VIII.  was  so  pleased  with  his  conversation, 
that  he  sent  frequently  for  him  to  entertain  and  divert  him. 

the  pope  do?    4.  What  was  the  consequence  of  the  pope's  measures?    5,  6,  7,  8,  9.  What 


I 


DEATH    OF    ANNE    BOLEYN. 1536. 


235 


9.  This  was  very  disagreeable  to  Sir  Thomas,  as  it  consumed  so 
much  of  his  time,  and  in  order  to  get  rid  of  this  royal  interruption, 


DEATIT   OF  SIR  THOMAS   3IOKE. 


he  made  use  of  a  stratagem.  He  affected  to  be  very  dull  and  un- 
entertaining  several  times  successively,  and  was  no  more  sent  for, 
sacrificing  the  reputation  of  being  a  wit,  and  the  conversation  of 
a  king,  to  save  his  time. 

10.  Anne  Boleyn's  enjoyment  of  a  crown  was  of  short  duration. 
Her  French  manners  and  vivacity,  though  so  pleasing  to  the  king 
before,  displeased  him  after  she  became  queen.  Upon  a  false  accusa- 
tion she  was,  therefore,  arrested  on  the  2d  of  May,  1536,  and  sent 
a  prisoner  to  the  Tower. 

11.  She  now  paid  dearly  for  her  brief  exaltation ;  accused  of  a 
crime  of  which  she  was  innocent,  denied  the  sight  of  her  parents,  and 
surrounded  by  her  bitterest  enemies,  after  a  mock  trial,  at  which  she 
was  allowed  no  counsel,  she  was  pronounced  guilty,  her  marriage 
declared  void,  and  herself  condemned  to  death.  Her  daughter, 
Elizabeth,  afterwards  queen,  was  declared  incapable  of  inheriting 
the  crown.  • 

12.  Anne  was  beheaded,  and  the  king  paid  her  memory  the  com- 
pliment of  wearing  white  mourning  one  day,  and  on  the  next  Avas 
married  to  Jane  Seymour,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Seymour.  The 
new  queen  died  at  the  end  of  the  year,  leaving  one  son,  Edward. 


Is  said  of  Sir  Thomas  More  ?    10, 11    What  was  the  fato  of  Anne  Boleyn  ?    12.  Whom 
did  t]ie  king  raarrv  next? 


236  ANN    OF    CLEVES, — CATHARINE   PARR. 


CHAPTER    CXXVIII. 

Thomas  OromweU. —  The  King  marries  in  succession  Ann  of  Cleves 
Catharine  Howard,  and  Catharine  Parr. 

1.  Among  the  few  of  Wolsey's  servants  who  remained  faithful 
to  their  master  in  his  disgiace,  was  Thomas  Cromwell,  the  son  of  a 
blacksmith,  who,  by  the  force  of  his  natural  talents,  had  risen  from 
the  situation  of  a  common  soldier  to  be  the  secretary  and  confidential 
friend  of  the  cardinal.  After  the  death  of  Wolsey,  he  entered  into 
the  service  of  the  king,  and  rose  rapidly  in  favor,  so  that  he 
engrossed  some  of  the  chief  offices  in  the  state. 

2.  The  king  now  looked  abroad  for  a  wife ;  but  there  were  some 
who  thought  that  the  brief  enjoyment  of  the  post  of  queen  might  be 
paid  for  too  dearly ;  one  lady  whom  he  asked,  sent  him  a  refusal, 
saying,  "  She  had  but  one  heati ;  if  she  had  two,  she  might  have 
ventured  to  marry  him." 

3.  Cromwell,  who  was  a  zealous  friend  to  the  Reformation,  was 
desirous  that  Henry  should  ally  himself  to  one  of  the  Protestant 
princes  of  Germany,  and  procured  a  portrait  of  Ann  of  Cleves,  to 
show  to  the  king.  Henry  was  so  much  pleased  with  the  picture, 
that  he  sent  to  demand  the  lady  in  marriage. 

4.  When  she  arrived  in  England,  the  king  found  her  so  unlike  the 
portrait,  that  he  was  with  difiiculty  persuaded  to  marry  her ;  and 
when  he  discovered  that  she  was  stupid  and  ignorant,  and  could 
speak  no  language  but  Dutch,  he  disliked  her  more  than  before,  and 
resolved  on  being  divorced  from  her ;  but  as  a  first  step,  he  beheaded 
Cromwell,  because  he  had  been  the  adviser  of  the  measure. 

5.  He  then  summoned  a  parliament,  who  most  obsequiously  de- 
clared the  marriage  void.  The  king  treated  Ann  with  much  liberal- 
ity, assigning  her  an  ample  income,  and  a  fine  palace,  and  she 
passed  the  rest  of  her  life  to  all  appearance  very  contentedly. 

6.  A  fortnight  had  not  elapsed,  before  Henry  presented  Catharine 
Howard,  niece  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  to  the  court  as  queen.  He 
was  so  much  charmed  with  the  wit  and  agreeableness  of  his  new 
wife,  that  he  caused  a  thanksgiving  prayer  to  be  made  for  his  happy 
marriage.  But  he  soon  found  reason  to  be  discontented,  and,  on  the 
12th  of  February,  1542,  she  lost  her  life  upon  the  scaffold. 

7.  Tired  of  marrying  for  beauty,  Henry  looked  out  for  sense  and 
discretion  in  his  next  wife,  which  he  happily  found  united  in  Catha- 
rine Parr,  the  widow  of  Lord  Latimer.  He  married  her  in  1543. 
She  contrived  to  preserve  the  good  opinion  of  the  king,  amidst  all 
the  storms  and  variations  of  his  capricious  temper. 

CXXVIII.— 1.  Who  was  Thomas  Cromwell?  3.  Whom  did  Cromwell  induce  the  king 
to  marry?  4.  IIow  was  the  king  pleased  with  his  bride?  5.  What  became  of  her?  «'». 
Whom  did  lie  next  marry  ?    What  became  of  this  wife?    7.  Who  was  his  last  wife? 


HENRY   VIII.    AND   THE   REFORMERS. — 1543.  237 


CHAPTER   CXXIX. 

Henry  VIII.  very  zealous  against  Heretics. —  Catharine  Parr  incun 
great  Danger. — By  what  Means  she  escapes  from  it. 

1.  It  was,  as  already  stated,  in  a  fit  of  passion  that  Henry  re- 
nounced the  authority  of  the  pope.  He  was  very  far  from  being  a 
convert  to  the  doctrines  of  Luther  and  other  Reformers.  It  is  true 
he  abolished  monasteries  and  nunneries,  with  all  their  rules  and 
observances ;  but  yet  he  appointed  priests  to  say  masses  for  his  own 
soul. 

2.  All  who  denied  the  supremacy  of  the  king  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion were  deemed  heretics,  and  many  were  burned  to  death; 
papists  and  Protestants  suffered  at  the  same  stake.  The  king  was 
particularly  vain  of  his  theological  knowledge,  and  even  engaged 
in  public  controversy  with  those  who  were  accused  of  heresy. 

3.  Theology  was  also  a  favorite  topic  of  conversation,  but  woe  to 
such  as  had  the  hardihood  to  differ  from  the  despotic  and  passionate 
monarch.*  Queen  Catharine,  who  was  at  heart  a  Protestant,  in- 
curred no  small  hazard.  Upon  one  occasion  she  expressed  herself 
rather  too  strongly  in  favor  of  the  reformed  faith. 

4.  Henry,  provoked  that  any  one  should  presume  to  differ  from 
him,  complained  of  the  queen's  obstinacy  to  Gardiner,  a  bigoted 
Roman  Catholic,  who- sought  to  inflame  the  quarrel.  He  at  length 
prevailed  on  the  king  to  consent  that  the  queen  should  be  publicly 
accused  and  tried  as  a  heretic. 

5.  With  so  capricious  a  monarch  it  was  dangerous  for  any  officer 
to  sign  the  articles,  since  it  was  high  treason,  a  capital  offence,  for 
any  one  to  slander  the  queen.  The  paper  was  prepared  for  the 
king's  own  signature.  By  some  means  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
queen's  friends,  and  she  was  at  once  informed  of  her  danger. 

6.  She  did  not  despair  of  being  able,  by  prudence  and  address,  to 
disappoint  the  efforts  of  her  enemies.  She  paid  her  usual  visit  to 
the  king,  and  found  him  more  placid  than  she  expected.  He  en- 
tered at  once  upon  his  favorite  topic,  and  seemed  to  challenge  her 
to  an  argument  in  divinity. 

7.  She  gently  declined  the  conversation,  saying  that  such  pro- 
found speculations  were  ill  suited  to  her  sex.  That  she  was  blessed 
with  a  husband  who  was  qualified,  by  his  judgment  and  learning,  not 
only  to  choose  principles  for  his  own  family,  but  for  the  most  wise 
and  learned  of  the  nation.  That  she  found  conversation  apt  to 
languish  when  there  was  no  opposition,  and  therefore  she  some- 
times ventured  to  oppose,  to  give  him  the  pleasure  of  refuting  her. 

8.  "And  is  it  so?"  replied  the  king;  "then  we  are  perfect 
friends  again."  Her  enemies,  who  knew  nothing  of  the  change  in 
the  king's  sentiments,  prepared  the  next  day  to  carry  her  to  the 

CXXix.— 1.  What  of  the  king's  feelings  towards  the  Reformers?  3.  What  danger  did 
Catliarine  incur?  5.  How  did  she  become  informed  of  her  danger?  6,  7,  8.  How  did  Bhe 
avert  it?    9.  What  reception  did  her  enemies  meet  with? 


238 


ARCHBISHOP   CRANMER. — 1543. 


Tower.  Henry  and  Catharine  were  conversing  amic.ibly  in  the 
garden,  when  the  chancellor  appeared,  with  forty  of  his  attendant 
officers. 

9.  The  king  spoke  to  him  at  some  distance  from  her,  and  seemed 
to  treat  him  with  great  severity ;  she  overheard  the  epithets  knave, 
fool,  and  beast,  liberally  bestoAved  upon  the  magistrate.  When  the 
king  joined  her,  she  interposed  to  mitigate  his  anger.  "Poor  soul!" 
said  he,  "  you  know  not  how  ill  entitled  this  man  is  to  your  good 
offices."  The  queen  took  good  care  never  again  to  contradict  his 
majesty,  and  Gardiner  never  could  regain  his  good  opinion. 


CHAPTER  CXXX. 

Cranmer  causes  the  Bible  to  be  translated  into  English,  and  to  be  pub- 
licly read. — Proofs  of  the  Ignorance  of  the  People. 


CRANMER. 

1.  There  was  one  of  Henry's  servants  who  retained  the  favor  of 
his  master  from  first  to  last,  and  that  not  by  any  obsequiousness, 
but  by  the  integrity  of  his  character.  This  was  Cranmer.  He  was 
the  only  one  of  Henry's  favorites  who  had  no  selfish  views  of  his 
own.  His  whole  soul  was  placed  on  one  great  object,  the  reforma- 
tion of  religion. 


CXXX.— 1,  2.  What  of   Cranmer?     3.  What  effect  hail   liis   virtues  on   Henry?    4 


TRANSLATION   OF   THE    BIBLE    INTO    ENGLISH.  239 


2.  Wolsey's  great  abilities  were  solely  employed  in  raising  him- 
self to  the  highest  worldly  dignity.  Cromwell,  though  a  zealous 
reformer,  was  intent  on  enriching  himself  from  the  pillage  of  the 
religious  houses.  Cranmer's  character  was  so  devoid  of  covetous- 
ness  and  ambition,  that  he  at  first  declined  the  archbishopric,  and 
at  last  acce])ted  only  from  the  hope  that  it  would  give  him  better 
means  of  forwarding  the  cause  he  had  at  heart. 

3.  Notwithstanding  a  timidity  of  character  which  betrayed  him 
into  some  weaknesses,  the  virtue  of  Cranmer  awed  the  overbearing 
Henry,  who  usually  contrived  to  send  him  to  a  distance  when  he 
was  about  to  commit  any  of  his  flagrant  acts.  The  king's  regard 
for  him  was  at  all  times  sincere. 

4.  Upon  one  occasion,  Gardiner  and  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  the 
leaders  of  the  papists,  thought  they  had  obtained  the  king's  consent 
to  send  Cranmer  to  the  Tower;  but  Henry  privately  warned  the 
archbishop  of  the  plot,  and  advised  him  how  to  defeat  the  malice 
of  his  enemies. 

5.  Cranmer  was  very  anxious  that  the  public  services  of  the 
church  should  be  in  English  instead  of  Latin,  but  he  knew  that  the 
king  would  violently  oppose  such  a  change.  He  therefore  thought 
it  best  to  lead  to  it  by  degrees ;  and  when  a  prayer  was  to  be  com- 
posed for  the  king's  preservation,  in  an  expedition  to  France,  in 
1544,  Cranmer  besought  him  that  it  might  be  composed  in  English, 
that  the  people  might  pray*with  more  fervor,  from  understanding 
what  they  uttered. 

6.  By  degrees  he  gained  permission  to  have  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
the  Creed,  and  the  Commandments  read  in  English  in  the  churches. 
He  was  also  desirous  of  obtaining  a  better  translation  of  the  Bible 
than  Wickliffe's,  of  which  a  few  copies  were  yet  extant.  At  last  he 
gained  the  king's  permission  to  have  one  prepared,  but  it  was  four 
years  before  it  was  completed. 

7.  These  Bibles,  when  they  did  appear,  were  received  with  thank- 
fulness all  over  the  kingdom ;  they  were  placed  in  churches,  and 
secured  by  a  chain  to  the  reading-desk.    The  people  flocked  to  the 

f)laces  where  they  could  hear  the  holy  book  read,  and  many  persona 
earned  to  read  for  the  sole  purpose  of  perusing  it.  But  Henry,  in 
the  latter  part  of  his  life,  would  not  permit  the  Scriptures  to  be 
read  by  the  lower  orders  of  the  people. 

8.  The  increase  of  books,  through  the  invention  of  printing,  had 
already  made  the  English  much  greater  readers  than  formerly ;  but 
in  regard  to  writing,  they  do  not  seem  to  have  been  much  advanced. 
An  anecdote  illustrative  of  this  is  contained  in  a  letter,  dated  1516, 
giving  an  account  of  some  seditious  paper  which  was  stuck  up  on 
ISt.  Paul's  Church. 

9.  In  order  to  discover  who  had  written  it,  the  aldermen  of  Lon- 
don were  ordered  to  go  round  all  the  wards,  and  "  see  all  write  who 
could."  We  may  conclude,  also,  that  country  gentlemen  were  not 
better  scribes  than  the  citizens ;  for  in  a  book  on  agriculture,  written 

Wliat  instance  of  the  king's  regard  for  him?  5.  IVhat  object  had  Cranmer  much  at 
heart?  6.  What  of  his  translation  of  tlie  Bible?  7.  How  did  the  people  receive  th« 
Bjblo?     8,  9.  What  instances  of  the  ignorance  of  the  people? 


240  TYRANNY    OF    HENRY. — 1546. 

about  this  time,  it  is  suggested  that  those  gentlemen  who  could  not 
write  might  note  down  anything  they  wished  to  remember  by  cutting 
notches  on  a  stick. 


CHAPTER  CXXXI. 

War  between  England  and  Scotland. — Battle  of  Solway  Moss. — Death 
of  the  King  of  Scotland,  who  is  succeeded  by  the  beautiful  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots. — Henry  becomes  more  tyrannical,  as  he  grows  old. — 
Arrest  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  of  the  Earl  of  Surrey. —  Charac- 
ter of  these  Noblemen. — Death  of  Surrey. — Death  of  Henry  VIII. 

1.  Henry  was  very  fond  of  royal  interviews,  and,  in  1541,  a 
meeting  between  him  and  his  nephew,  James  V.,  of  Scotland,  was 
agreed  upon,  to  be  held  at  York.  Henry  and  his  court  kept  the 
appointment,  and  waited  for  some  days ;  but  the  King  of  Scots  was 
prevented  by  his  clergy  from  fulfilling  the  engagement. 

2.  Henry  was  so  much  enraged  at  this  insult,  that  he  declared 
war  against  him.  The  English  army  obtained  a  victory  at  Solway 
Moss,  and  James  was  so  much  overwhelmed  when  he  heard  of  it, 
that  he  sunk  into  a  settled  melancholy,  and  died  December  14th, 
1542,  leaving  an  infant  daughter,  only  seven  years  old,  as  heir  to 
his  throne. 

3.  This  princess  was  the  celebrated  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  of 
whose  unhappy  life  and  death  you  will  hear  in  the  proper  place. 
Henry  was  desirous  of  a  marriage  between  the  young  Queen  of 
Scotland  and  his  son  Edward,  and  used  both  force  and  artifice  to 
bring  it  about.  He  wished  also  to  be  made  Protector  of  Scotland 
during  the  queen's  minority ;  but  the  Scots  were  too  bold  to  be 
frightened,  and  too  wary  to  be  ensnared. 

4.  In  1546  peace  was  made  with  Scotland,  and  lienry,  being  also 
at  peace  with  France  and  Germany,  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  tor- 
ment his  own  subjects.  As  he  required  the  people  to  make  his 
opinion  the  standard  of  their  faith,  and.  was  continually  changing 
that  opinion,  and  making  contradictory  laws,  it  was  scarcely  pos- 
sible for  his  subjects  to  steer  a  safe  course,  among  the  difficulties 
which  his  tyrannical  caprice  laid  in  their  way. 

5.  Towards  the  end  of  his  life  he  was  troubled  with  a  very  pain- 
ful disorder  in  his  leg,  which,  added  to  his  unwieldy  corpulence, 
disabled  him  from  walking,  and  made  him  more  furious  than  a 
chained  lion.  These  infirmities  so  greatly  increased  the  natural 
violence  of  his  temper,  that  everybody  was  afraid  to  come  near 
him. 

6.  Even  the  queen,  though  she  was  his  most  attentive  nurse,  per- 

CXXXI.— 1,  2.  What  led  to  a  war  with  Scotland?  What  effect  had  the  defeat  of  the 
Scots  upon  their  king?  Who  succeeded  James  V.?  3.  What  marriage  was  Henry  de- 
sirous to  effect?  4.  What  of  his  treatment  of  his  own  subjects?  5.  What  increased  his 
natural  ill  temper?     6.  What  was  one  of  the  last  acts  of  his  life?    7.  Wliatof  the  Duke 


DEATH    OF   HENRY    VIII. 1547.  241 

forming  the  most  disagreeable  offices  for  him,  was  treated  with 
harshness.  His  tyranny  and  caprice  were  such  that  none  could  feel 
safe.  Among  the  last  acts  of  his  life  was  the  arrest  of  the  Duke  of 
Norfolk  and  his  son,  Lord  Surrey. 

7.  The  former  was  regarded  as  the  greatest  subject  in  the  king- 
dom. He  had  been  one  of  the  king's  earliest  favorites ;  he  had  ren- 
dered great  services  to  the  crown,  which  had  been  rewarded  by 
honors  and  estates ;  he  was  allied  to  the  royal  family  by  marriage 
in  various  ways. 

8.  The  Earl  of  Surrey  was  the  most  accomplished  nobleman  in 
the  kingdom.  He  was  equally  distinguished  as  a  courtier,  a  scholar, 
and  a  soldier.  Himself  a  poet,  he  was  a  liberal  patron  of  letters 
and  of  the  fine  arts.  Both  these  noblemen  were  zealous  Roman 
Catholics,  and  the  duke  was  regarded,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  as 
the  head  of  that  party. 

9.  It  was  doubtless  the  king's  fear  that  they  might  prove  danger- 
ous subjects  during  the  minority  of  his  son  Edward,  that  led  to  their 
ruin.  But  the  charges  actually  brought  against  them  were  frivolous 
in  the  extreme.  But  with  the  parliaments  and  juries  of  Henry's 
reign  this  was  of  small  consequence.  Surrey  was  found  guilty  of 
high  treason,  and  was  beheaded  January  19th,  1547. 

10.  Norfolk  tried  every  concession  to  save  his  own  life,  but  Henry, 
as  if  he  thirsted  for  blood,  hurried  on  the  proceedings  of  parliament, 
and  the  death-warrant  was  signed  January  27th,  but  before  it  could 
be  executed,  the  king  expired,  and  thus  his  victim  escaped. 

11.  Henry's  temper  was  so  terrific,  that,  when  he  was  dying,  no 
person  dared  to  give  him  the  least  hint  of  his  danger.  At  last  one 
bolder  than  the  rest  ventured  to  tell  him  he  had  not  long  to  live,  and 
asked  him  if  he  would  have  a  clergyman  sent  for.  He  replied,  "  If 
any,  Cranmer."  When  the  archbishop  arrived,  the  king  was  speech- 
less, but  he  knew  Cranmer,  and  expired  as  he  pressed  his  hand.  He 
was  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  thirty-eighth  of  his  reign. 

12.  Though  the  princesses,  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  had  been  de- 
clared not  to  be  capable  of  inheriting  the  crown,  Henry  appointed 
them  in  his  wdll,  after  their  brother,  to  the  succession.  In  case  they 
all  died  Avithout  children,  he  left  the  succession  to  the  heirs  of  his 
youngest  sister,  the  Duchess  of  Sufiblk,  in  exclusion  of  those- of  his 
eldest  sister,  Margaret,  who,  after  the  death  of  the  King  of  Scotland, 
had  married  the  Earl  of  Angus. 

FAMILY  OF  HENRY  VIII. 


Catharine  of  Aragon,  whom  he  divorced. 
Anne  Boleyn,  whom  he  beheaded. 
Jane  Seymour,  who  died  a  natural  death. 
Ann  of  Cleves,  whom  he  divorced. 
Catharine  Howard,  whom  he  beheaded. 
Catharine  Parr,  who  survived  him. 


of  Norfolk?  8.  What  of  Lord  Surrey?  9, 10.  What  was  the  fate  of  these  noblemen? 
11.  Relate  the  p  vrticulars  of  Henry's  death.  12.  What  did  he  appoint  a<»  the  order  ol 
succession  ? 

21 


242  ANECDOTES    OF    HENRY    VIII. 

CHILDREN. 

Edward,  son  of  Jane  Seymour,  who  succeeded. 

Mary  daughter  of  Catharine  of  Ar agon,    |  Afterwards  Queens  :f  England. 

Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Anne  Boleyn,  j  ^  a 


CHAPTER    CXXXII. 

Anecdotes  of  Henry  VIII. — His  patronage  of  Men  of  Learning. — 
Erasmus  invited  to  England  to  teach  Greek. —  Violent  Disputes  as  to 
the  proper  Pronunciation  of  that  Language. — The  King  interferes  to 
put  a  stop  to  them. — Hans  Holbein,  the  Fainter. — Several  new  Vege- 
tables introduced  into  England. 

1.  It  may  seem  extraordinary,  that,  notwithstanding  his  cruelty, 
his  extortion,  his  violence,  and  the  many  vices  which  disgraced  his 
character,  Henry  possessed  to  the  last,  in  some  degree,  the  love  and 
affection  of  his  subjects.  His  exterior  qualities  were  calculated  to 
captivate  the  multitude;  his  magnificence  and  personal  courage 
made  him  illustrious  in  vulgar  eyes.  His  liberality  helped  to  rec- 
oncile his  courtiers  to  his  ill-humors. 

2.  A  single  anecdote  will  suffice  to  show  how  completely  the  Eng- 
lish people  were  subdued  by  the  royal  authority  and  will ;  indeed,  in 
regard  to  freedom  of  thought  or  action,  they  were  little  better  off 
than  the  slaves  of  an  eastern  despot.  Upon  one  occasion,  the  House 
of  Commons  did  not  pass  a  law  granting  a  supply  quite  so  speedily 
as  the  king  wished. 

3.  Whereupon  Henry  sent  for  Edward  Montague,  one  of  the 
members  who  had  considerable  influence  in  the  house ;  and  he,  in- 
troduced to  his  majesty,  had  the  mortification  to  hear  him  speak  in 
these  words :  "  Ho !  man  !  will  they  not  pass  my  bill  ?" 

4.  And  laying  his  hand  on  Montague's  head,  who  was  then  on  his 
knees  before  him,  "  Get  my  bill  passed  by  to-morrow,  or  else  to-mor- 
row this  head  of  yours  shall  be  off!"  The  bill  was  passed  within 
the  appointed  time. — After  the  evidence  we  have  given  of  barbar- 
ism in  the  manners  of  the  age,  it  will  not  surprise  us  to  learn  tliat 
the  traffic  in  slaves,  by  Christian  nations,  began  in  the  rei2:n  of 
Henry  VIII. 

5.  We  have  already  said  that  Henry  was  distinguished  among 
the  princes  of  his  age  for  his  scholarship.  Learning  now  became 
fashionable  in  England.  Erasmus  speaks  with  great  satisfaction  of 
the  regard  paid  by  the  nobles  to  men  of  knowledge.  To  speak  and 
write  pure  Latin  was  deemed  a  polite  accomplishment,  to  which 
persons  of  the  highest  rank  and  of  both  sexes  aspired. 

CXXXII.— 1.  What  were  the  feelings  of  Henry's  subjects  towards  km?    2.  8,  4 


ANECDOTES   OF   HENRY   VIII.  243 

6.  The  greatest  scholars  of  the  age  did  not  disdain  o  spend  their 
time  in  writing  grammars,  vocabularies,  colloquies  and  other  books, 
to  assist  the  unlearned  in  making  this  acquisition.  Cardinal  Wol- 
sey  is  said  to  have  written  the  preface  to  a  grammar,  which  has  not 
yet  gone  entirely  out  of  use  in  England,  prepared  by  William  Lilly, 
a  man  who,  for  his  great  learning,  was  made  the  first  master  of  St. 
Paul's  School,  then  just  founded  in  London. 

7.  The  restorers  of  learning  found  it  much  more  difficult  to  per- 
suade people  that  a  knowledge  of  the  Greek  language  was  either 
useful  or  agreeable.  By  the  invitation  of  Wolsey,  Erasmus  came 
to  Oxford  to  teach  Greek.  The  introduction  of  this  study  rent  that 
university  into  violent  factions,  which  frequently  came  to  blows. 

8.  The  students  divided  themselves  into  parties,  which  bore  the 
names  of  Grecians  and  Trojans,  and  sometimes  fought  with  as  great 
animosity  as  formerly  animated  those  hostile  nations.  A  new  and 
more  correct  method  of  pronouncing  Greek  being  introduced,  the 
Grecians  themselves  were  divided  into  parties ;  and  it  was  remarked^ 
that  the  Catholics  held  to  the  old,  while  the  Protestants  favored  the* 
new  mode. 

9.  Bishop  Gardiner  declared  that,  rather  than  permit  the  liberty 
of  changing  the  pronunciation  of  the  Greek  alphabet,  it  were  better 
the  language  itself  were  banished  from  the  universities ;  and  the 
king,  by  his  influence,  made  it  an  offence,  subject  to  whipping  and 
other  ignominious  punishments,  to  use  the  new  pronunciation. 

10.  Hans  Holbein,  having  acquired  a  great  reputation  as  a 
painter  in  his  native  city  of  Basle,  in  Switzerland,  was  invited  to 
England,  where  he" was  patronized  by  Henry  VIII.,  who  employed 
him  to  portray  the  beauties  of  his  wives,  or  of  those  whom  he  pro- 
posed to  wed.  To  procure  a  just  report  of  the  latter,  he  was  twice 
despatched  to  the  continent  of  Europe,  as  the  secret  emissary  of  the 
king's  love. 

11.  But  he  was  not  always  a  faithful  messenger,  for  his  pencil 
imparted  unmerited  charms  to  Ann  of  Cleves,  and  ensnared  his  em- 
ployer into  a  marriage.  As  he  was  one  day  engaged  in  painting  a 
lady's  portrait  for  the  king,  a  nobleman  made  his  way  into  his 
room.     Offended  at  the  intrusion,  Holbein  pushed  him  down  stairs. 

12.  The  nobleman  went  straight  to  Henry,  complaining  loudly 
of  the  insult,  and  demanding  redress.  "  It  is  I,  in  the  person  of 
Holbein,  who  have  been  insulted,"  said  the  monarch ;  "  I  can,  when 
I  please,  make  seven  lords  of  seven  ploughmen;  but  I  cannot  make 
one  Holbein  even  of  seven  lords." 

13.  It  was  not  till  the  end  of  this  reign  that  carrots,  turnips,  and 
other  edible  roots  were  produced  in  England.  The  little  of  these 
vegetables  that  was  used  was  formerly  imported  from  Holland  and 
Flanders.  Queen  Catharine,  when  she  wanted  a  salad,  was  obliged 
to  despatch  a  messenger  thither  on  purpose. 

What  anecdote  is  related  of  him  ?  5,  6.  What  is  said  of  the  study  of  Latin  ?  7,  8,  ft 
What  of  the  Greek  lang^a{Je  ?  10, 11, 12.  What  of  Hans  Holbein  ?  13.  What  of  vege 
tables? 


244  EDWARD   VI.—  1547. 


CHAPTEE  CXXXIII. 

The  Duke  of  Somerset  appointed  Protector. — Edward  VI. — A  Book  oj 
Prayer  prepared. — Sternhold  and  Hopkins  make  a  Metrical  Version 
of  the  Psalms. —  The  Thirty-nine  Articles. — An  apparent  general 
Conformity  in  religious  Faith. 


—     7  ^-^57.^E^::^gfe^22^9^>^vn  ^h-i^c^zTZ^  - 
EDWARD  VI.   AND  CRANMEE. 

1.  Henry,  who  desired  to  rule  even  after  his  death,  left  very 
peremptory  commands  for  the  government  of  the  state  until  his  son 
Edward  should  be  old  enough  to  take  the  reins  into  his  own  hands. 
But  all  his  directions  were  disregarded,  and  the  government  was 
intrusted  to  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  Edward's  eldest  uncle,  under 
the  title  of  Protector. 

2.  Edward  was  in  his  tenth  year  when  his  father  died,  and  his 
love  of  study  and  early  application  already  gave  great  promise  of  his 
future  capacity  for  government.  The  protector,  who  favored  the 
Protestants,  intrusted  his  education  to  men  of  the  reformed  religion. 
The  young  king  readily  imbibed  their  opinions,  and  he  showed  a 
knowledge,  zeal,  and  piety  quite  extraordinary  in  a  boy  of  his  age. 

3.  Theology  was  his  favorite  study,  and  his  greatest  delight  was 
listening  to  sermons.  Latimer,  who  had  suffered  much  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  for  his  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  reformed  faith,  was  appointed 
the  king's  preacher,  and  had  a  pulpit  placed  in  one  of  tne  royal 
gardens,  where  Edward  loved  to  sit  out  of  doors  and  listen  for 
hours  to  his  very  long,  but  very  eloquent  sermons. 

4.  But  we  must  not  suppose  that  the  king  neglected  his  other 
studies.    His  Latin  exercises  have  been  preserved,  and  do  him  great 

CXXXIII.— 1.  What  of  the  government  after  Henry's  death?  2.  What  of  Edward? 
S.  What  was  his  favorite  study?    4.  Did  he  respect  others?    5.  What  of  the  progress 


THE   REFORMATION. — 1517.  246 

credit.  There  can  be  no  question  that  he  possessed  abilities  of  a 
very  high  order.  At  the  same  time  he  endeared  himself  to  all 
around  by  the  gentleness  of  his  disposition. 

5.  The  work  of  reformation  in  religion  was  now  undertaken  in 
earnest.  By  direction  of  the  protector,  Cranmer,  and  Ridley,  after- 
wards Bishop  of  London,  prepared  a  Book  of  Prayer,  from  which 
the  one  now  in  use  in  the  English  Church  differs  but  little.  To 
conciliate  those  who  yet  inclined  to  popery,  many  of  the  prayers 
of  the  Romish  Church  were  retained. 

6.  About  the  same  time,  Thomas  Sternhold,  an  officer  in  the 
palace  of  the  king,  being  displeased  by  the  silly  and  profane  songs 
he  used  to  hear  the  courtiers  sing,  and  thinking  he  should  do  them 
a  kindness  by  furnishing  them  with  something  better,  made  a  trans- 
lation of  the  Psalms  of  David  into  verse,  beiug  assisted  in  the  work 
by  a  schoolmaster,  named  Hopkins. 

7.  At  first  these  Psalms  were  sung  to  the  tunes  of  songs,  but 
soon  becoming  generally  known  and  approved  of,  they  were  adapted 
to  church  music,  and  placed  at  the  end  of  the  Prayer-Book.  That 
there  mi^ht  be  a  general  conformity  in  religious  belief,  Cranmer 
drew  up  forty-two  articles,  from  which,  with  some  slight  alterations 
and  retrenchments,  the  Thirty-nine  Articles  are  formed.  These 
articles  are  a  short  summary  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  of 
England. 

8.  Severe  penalties  were  denounced  against  all  who  did  not  avow 
their  belief  in  the  religion  of  the  government.  The  Princess  Mary, 
who  was  a  rigid  papist,  refused  to  conform  to  the  law.  On  this,  her 
chaplains  were  imprisoned,  and  she  herself  threatened  with  punish- 
ment ;  but  when  she  appealed  to  her  cousin,  the  emperor,  and  made 
an  attempt  to  escape  from  England,  it  was  deemed  prudent  to  per- 
mit her  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  her  own  heart, 
provided  she  did  it  privately  in  her  own  house ;  a  concession  which 
cost  the  young  king  many  tears. . 

9.  Bishop  Gardiner  likewise  refused  to  conform,  and  suffered  im- 
prisonment. But  the  nation  was  in  a  great  measure  brought  to  a 
seeming  conformity  in  religion.  Some  adopted  the  reformed  faith 
from  conviction  of  its  truth ;  some,  because  it  was  the  religion  of 
the  court;  while  those  who  had  obtained  grants  of  abbey  lands 
warmly  supported  the  views  of  the  protector,  lest,  with  the  restora- 
tion of  the  old  religion,  they  should  be  obliged  to  refund  their  share 
of  the  plunder. 

of  the  Reformation?  What  of  the  Book  of  Prayer ?  6.  Who  made  a  metrical  version  of 
the  Psiilms?  Why  was  it  done?  7.  What  are  tlie  Thirty-nine  Articles?  8.  Who  refused 
to  confirm  to  the  reformed  mode  of  worship?  What  was  the  result?  9.  By  what  dif- 
ferent motiTes  were  tlie  people  actuated? 

21  * 


246  BATTLE   OF   PINKIE. — 1547. 


CHAPTEK  CXXXIV. 

The  Protector  seeks  to  force  a  Marriage  between  Edward  and  Mary. — 
Battle  of  Pinkie. — Marij  sent  to  France. — Catharine  Parr  marriei 
Lord  Seymour. — Her  Death. — Dudley,  Earl  of  Wanvick,  inducer 
Seymour  to  commit  Acts  which  lead  to  his  Execution. 

1.  The  marriage  of  Edward  with  the  young  Queen  of  Scots  had 
been  a  favorite  measure  with  Henry,  who  foresaw  the  advantages 
which  would  result  from  the  union  of  the  whole  island  under  one 
fifovernment.  He  had  enjoined  it  upon  his  council  to  procure  its 
completion  by  force,  if  it  could  not  be  done  by  negotiation. 

2.  Failing  in  the  latter,  the  protector,  in  1547,  marched  into  Scot- 
land at  the  head  of  an  army,  and  advanced  to  within  four  miles  of 
Edinburgh,  without  meeting  with  much  opposition.  At  the  same 
time  a  large  fleet  arrived  in  the  Frith  of  Forth  to  assist  the  opera- 
tions of  the  army.  The  governor  of  Scotland  summoned  the  whole 
force  of  the  kingdom  to  repel  this  formidable  invasion,  and  posted 
his  army  in  a  very  advantageous  position  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  Esk. 

3.  Somerset,  seeing  the  impossibility  of  attacking  the  enemy  with 
any  hope  of  success,  moderated  his  demands,  and  only  required  that 
the  young  queen  should  not  be  married  to  any  one  else  until  she 
was  old  enough  to  choose  for  herself.  But  the  Scots  refused  to 
agree  to  these  terms,  supposing  that  Somerset  only  offered  them 
from  finding  himself  in  a  perilous  condition ;  and  they  Avere  con- 
firmed in  this  belief,  by  observing  that  the  English  army  moved 
towards  the  sea,  as  if  to  embark. 

4.  To  intercept  its  escape,  the  Scots  unwisely  left  their  strong 
post,  and  descended  into  the  plain,  placing  themselves  between  the 
English  and  the  sea.  Here  they  were  exposed  to  the  cannon  of 
the  ships,  and,  being  thus  placed  between  two  fires,  were  compelled 
to  fall  back.  A  panic  now  seized  them,  and  the  retreat  became 
a  flight. 

5.  The  Battle  of  Pinkie,  as  it  is  called,  from  the  name  of  a  house 
near  the  field,  was  fought  September  10th,  1547.  In  it  perished  more 
than  ten  thousand  Scots.  Among  these  were  a  great  number  of 
monks  and  priests,  who  had  been  drawn  to  the  camp  by  their  hatred 
of  the  English  heretics.  A  large  number  of  prisoners  were  taken, 
amongst  others  the  Earl  of  Huntley,  who,  being  asked  how  he  stood 
affected  to  the  marriage,  replied,  "  That  he  liked  the  marriage  well 
enough,  but  he  liked  not  the  manner  of  wooing." 

6.  These  rough  proceedings  so  irritated  the  Scots  that  they  re- 
solved their  queen  should  never  marry  Edward.  To  place  her 
beyond  the  power  of  the  English,  they  sent  her,  being  now  six 
years  old,  to  be  educated  at  the  court  of  France,  and  betrothed  her 
to  the  dauphin. 

CXXXrV.— 1.  Why  did  Somerset  invade  Scotland?  When?  2,  What  did  the  Scots 
do?    3.  What  terms  did  Somerset  propose?    4,  5.  What  of  the  battle  of  Pinkie?    6. 


INSURRECTIONS   AND   TUMULTS. — 1549.  247 

7.  Somerset  now  returned  in  great  haste  to  England,  for  he  had 
received  intelligence  of  some  designs  to  remove  him  from  his  high 
office.  At  the  head  of  the  malcontents  was  his  own  brother,  Lord 
Seymour,  who  aspired  to  supplant  the  protector.  Seymour  was  a 
man  of  great  powers  of  flattery,  and  had  won  so  much  on  the  good 
opinion  of  Catharine  Parr,  that  she  married  him  very  soon  after 
Henry's  death. 

8.  She  lived  only  a  year  after  the  marriage,  and  Seymour  then 
aspired  to  a  still  higher  connection ;  for  he  addressed  the  Princess 
Elizabeth,  and  it  is  supposed  would  have  been  successful  in  his 
suit,  had  it  not  been  opposed  by  other  officers  in  the  state. 

9.  Seymour  was  encouraged  in  his  opposition  to  Somerset  by 
Dudley,  Earl  of  Warwick,  son  of  that  wicked  Dudley  who  had 
been  a  judge  in  Henry  VII.'s  reign,  and  who  hoped  to  raise  him- 
self by  the  ruin  of  both  the  brothers.  Having  induced  Seymour  to 
commit  some  violent  actions,  he  then  persuaded  Somerset  to  have 
him  arrested  for  high  treason.  His  condemnation  and  execution 
soon  followed,  and  thus  the  wicked  designs  of  Dudley  were  to  that 
extent  successful.  ' 


CHAPTER  CXXXV. 

Chnsequences  of  the  Suppression  of  the  Religious  Houses. — Somerset 
resigns  the  Protectorship. — Is  condemned  and  executed  for  High 
Treason. —  Warwick  rides  the  Country. — Many  Books  destroyed  for 
the  sake  of  their  rich  Ornaments. 

1.  The  destruction  of  the  religious  houses  was  a  very  severe 
measure  upon  large  numbers  of  people.  Some  of  the  heads  of 
these  establishments  were  allowed  small  sums  for  their  own  sup- 
port ;  but  the  monks  and  nuns  were  turned  adrift,  a  helpless  race  of 
creatures,  who  could  do  but  little  towards  their  own  maintenance. 

2.  It  Was  also  a  harsh  proceeding  to  those  farmers  who  had  en- 
joyed the  church  lands  at  easy  rents.  There  was  a  still  more 
numerous  class  of  sufferers,  the  idle  poor,  who  had 'been  fed  daily 
at  tlie  convent  gates,  and  scarcely  knew  how  to  work.  All  these 
were  now  obliged  to  seek  their  daily  bread  by  labor. 

3.  In  addition  to  the  distresses  of  these  persons,  the  industrious 
poor  suffered  greatly  from  a  change  which  took  place  about  this 
time  in  the  system  of  agriculture.  Many  arable  farms  were,  on 
account  of  tlie'high  price  of  wool,  turned  into  sheep-pastures;  and 
a  scarcity  of  corn,  and  a  diminution  of  the  demand  for  labor,  were 
the  consequences.  These  causes  made  the  year  1549  a  period  of 
insurrections  and  tumults  all  over  England. 

What  effect  had  this  invasion  on  the  Scots  ?     What  resolution  did  they  adopt  ?     7.  What 
induced  Somerset  to  return  to  England?    W'hat  of  Lord  Seymour?    Whom  did  he  marry? 
9.  Who  encouraged  the  opposition  of  Seymour?    \i\mt  was  the  result? 
CXXXV.— 1,  What  was  one  consequenco  of  the  destruction  of  the  religious  honsosT 


248  DISPOSAL   OF  THE   RELIGIOUS  HOUSES. 

4.  The  protector,  who  really  felt  a  pity  for  the  poor,  did  all  in  his 
power  to  relieve  their  distresses,  and  the  commotions  Avere  quelled. 
But  the  protector  gave  offence  to  the  nobles  by  the  great  state  and 
royal  dignity  which  he  assumed.  *He  also  displeased  the  people  of 
London,  by  demolishing  a  church  to  erect  a  magnificent  palace 
upon  its  site.  This  palace,  after  being  the  residence  of  many  roya\ 
personages,  was  pulled  down  in  1775,  and  a  grand  edifice  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  public  officers  erected.  The  name  of  Somer- 
set-house was  still  retained. 

5.  A  confederacy,  headed  by  Warwick,  was  formed  against  the 
protector,  who,  seeing  himself  deserted  by  all  except  Cranmer  and 
his  secretary,  Paget,  resigned  the  protectorship.  The  government 
was  intrusted  to  a  council  of  regency,  of  which  Warwick  was  the 
president.  Not  satisfied  with  the  degradation  of  Somerset,  War- 
wick, in  1551,  accused  him  of  a  design  to  excite  a  rebellion.  • 

6.  Upon  this  charge  Somerset  was  tried,  condemned,  and  exe- 
cuted, to  the  sincere  grief  of  the  people,  to  whom  his  goodness  of 
heart  had  much  endeared  him.  When  he  was  beheaded,  many 
rushed  on  the  scaffold  to  dip  their  handkerchiefs  in  his  blood,  and 
these  were  preserved  as  memorials  of  him. 

7.  Under  Warwick  the  work  of  the  reformation  was  carried  on 
with  more  intemperate  zeal.  The  good  Archbishop  Cranmer  en- 
deavored to  preserve  to  the  popish  clergy  the  scanty  provision  that 
still  remained  to  them.  But  his  integrity  was  no  match  for  the 
avarice  of  the  spoilers,  whose  rapacity  nothing  could  escape. 

8.  Under  pretence  of  searching  for  forbidden  books,  the  libraries 
of  the  Universities  of  Oxford,  and  that  at  Westminster,  were  rum- 
maged, and  all  books  with  gold  or  silver  ornaments  on  their 
bindings  were  seized  as  being  superstitious  relics,  and  thus  many 
valuable  works  were  destroyed. 

9.  Books  in  those  days  were  commonly  bound  in  parchment,  and 
much  ornamented.  Sometimes  the  clasps  and  the  corners  of  the 
covers  were  of  gold  or  silver,  and  they  were  frequently  secured  to 
the  shelves  by  long  chains,  to  prevent  their  being  carried  away. 
One  of  the  later  kings,  Charles  I.,  had  some  books  whijch  were 
bound  in  velvet,  and  their  clasps  set  with  pearls  and  precious  stones. 


CHAPTER  CXXXVI. 

tfow  the  Religious  Houses  were  disposed  of. — Fashions  of  Dress. — Pim 
and  Needles  come  into  use. 

1.  The  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  what  became  of  the  old 
monasteries  and  nunneries.  Some  of  them  were,  doubtless,  levelled 
with  the  ground;  others  were  left  to  decay,  and  their  ruins  still 

3.  What  other  cause  produced  distress?  What  was  the  consequence?  4.  How  did  the 
protector  oflfend  the  nobles?  6,  7.  Relate  the  rest  of  his  story,  8.  What  of  the  progress 
of  the  Reformation  ?    9.  What  of  the  binding  of  the  books  ? 


FASHIONS   OP   HENRY   VIII.'s    TIME. — 1509-1547.  249 

remain,  objects  of  admiration  to  lovers  of  relics  of  antiquity.    Many 
were  given  to  laymen,  who  converted  them  into  dwelling-houses. 

2.  Some  of  these  still  preserve  much  of  their  original  monastic 
appearance.  Others  retain  only  the  name.  Woburn  Abbey  is  one 
of  these,  where  nothing  of  the  establishment  remains,  except,  per- 
haps, the  old  oaks,  one  of  which  is  pointed  out  as  the  tree  upon 
which  the  last  abbot  was  hung,  for  refusing  to  give  up  his  house  to 
the  king's  commissioners. 

3.  Henry  bestowed  many  of  the  religious  houses  on  his  personal 
attendants.  One  was  rewarded  with  some  abbey  lands  for  having 
wheeled  his  chair  further  from  the  fire,  and  a  lady  had  a  monastery 
given  to  her  for  making  the  king  a  dish  of  puddings  which  he  liked. 
Many  of  the  larger  ones  were  converted  to  purposes  of  public  util- 
ity. St.  Stephen's  Chapel  was  appropriated  by  Edward  VI.  to  the 
meetings  of  the  House  of  Commons,  for  which  purpose  it  was  used 
till  its  destruction  by  fire  in  1834. 

4.  Bethlehem  Priory  was  converted  into  a  hospital  for  lunatics, 
and  its  name  corrupted  into  Bedlam  Hospital.  Another  old  relig- 
ious house  was  converted  into  a  school  by  Edward  VI.,  and  is  now 
known  as  Christ's  Hospital.  Here  more  than  one  thousand  orphan 
boys  are  maintained  and  educated ;  the  blue  coats  and  petticoats, 
and  yellow  stockings  of  the  boys,  still  show  the  dress  worn  by  chil- 
dren in  the  reign  of  the  founder. 

5.  The  fashion  of  the  dress  of  the  men  of  this  age  is  retained  to 
this  date  by  the  yeomen  of  the  guard,  or  king's  beef-eaters,  as  they 
are  vulgarly  called.  Some  antiquaries  suppose  this  name  to  be  a 
corruption  of  buffefiers,  because  it  was  part  of  their  duty  to  guard 
the  silver  on  the  buffet  or  sideboard.  Others  derive  it  from  the 
circumstance  of  there  having  been  maintained  for  them  a  long  oaken 
table,  whereon  roast  beef,  plum  pudding,  and  other  good  cheer 
were  to  be  daily  seen  smoking  at  one  o'clock.  The  dress  is  scarlet ; 
the  coat  like  a  modern  frock-coat,  with  yellow  stripes. 

6.  About  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  in  consequence  of  some 
jokes  which  were  cut  at  the  expense  of  the  corps,  whom  some  wag 
compared  to  boiled  lobsters,  the  king  ordered  them  to  wear  white 
stockings.  But  George  IV.,  who  loved  splendor  and  had  a  good 
taste,  renewed  the  red  hose,  which,  with  the  adoption  of  the  white 
ruff,  and  large  white  gauntlets,  or  gloves,  restored  to  the  guard  its 
ancient  showy  splendor.  As  Henry  VIII.  was  a  fat,  burly  man, 
the  courtiers  stuffed  out  their  clothes,  to  make  themselves  look  as 
big  as  he  did ;  though  the  rest  of  the  dress  was  wide  and  baggy,  the 
sleeves  were  made  so  tight,  that  some  of  the  fine  gentlemen  had 
them  sewed  up  every  time  they  put  them  on. 

7.  One  would  think  that  so  troublesome  afashion  must  have  been 
confined  to  the  rich,  who  had  plenty  of  time  to  waste  upon  trifles. 
But  that  the  fashions  of  the  courtiers  were  aped  by  people  of  much 
lower  degree,  is  clear  from  the  following  story.  John  Drakes,  a 
shoemaker,  was  a  great  admirer  of  Sir  Philip  Calthorp's  style  of 

CXXXVI. — 1.  Wliat  became  of  the  monasteries  and  nunneries?  3,4.  Mention  soma 
that  were  appropriated  to  public  uses.  What  of  Christ's  Hospital?  5.  By  what  body 
\s  the  fashion  of  dress  of  "this  period  still  retained?     6.  What  of  the  fashions  of  Henry 


250        DUDLEY,  DUKE  OF  NORTHUMBERJ.AND. 

dress,  and  prevailed  with  his  tailor  to  make  him  some  clo1n(-s  whicb 
should  be  exactly  like  that  gentleman's. 

8.  Sir  Philip  having  ordered  a  new  cloak,  the  fellow  to  it  was 
accordingly  made  for  John  Drakes,  which  the  knight  nearing  of. 
gave  directions  to  the  tailor  to  cut  little  slits  all  over  his  cloak.  Aa 
the  shoemaker's  cloak  was  to  be  exactly  like  Sir  Philip's,  the  tailor 
cut  it  also  in  the  same  way ;  and  this,  as  the  story  goes,  completely 
cured  John  Drakes  of  aping  Sir  Philip  Calthorp. 

9.  The  convenience  of  ladies'  dress  was  very  much  assisted  about 
this  time  by  the  invention  of  pins.  Before  this,  there  were  a  vari- 
ety of  contrivances  for  fastening  clothes ;  buttons,  hooks  and  eyes, 
laces  and  loops ;  and  ladies  used  even  wooden  skewers  to  keep  their 
dress  in  its  proper  place.  Needles  were  not  known  till  the  reign  of 
Mary,  when  a  Moor  came  to  London  and  made  some  there ;  but,  as 
he  refused  to  discover  his  art,  they  were  not  manufactured  in  any 
considerable  quantity  till  some  time  after. 

10.  In  the  place  of  the  large  and  fantastical  head-dresses,  which 
had  been  the  vogue,  ladies  now  wore  coifs  and  velvet  bonnets. 
Among  gentlemen,  long  hair  remained  fashionable,  through  Europe, 
till  the  Emperor  Charles  devoted  his  locks  for  his  health ;  and  Henry 
VIII.,  a  tyrant  even  in  matters  of  taste,  gave  efficacy  to  the  fashion 
by  a  peremptory  order  for  his  attendants  and  courtiers  to  poll  their 
heads. 

11.  The  same  spirit  induced  him  to  regulate  the  dress  of  his  sub- 
jects. Cloth  of  gold  or  tissue  was  reserved  for  dukes  and  mar- 
quises, and  that  of  a  purple  color  for  the  royal  family.  Silks  and 
velvets  were  restricted  to  persons  of  wealth  and  distinction,  and 
embroidery  was  forbidden  to  all  beneath  the  dignity  of  an  earl. 
Cuffs  for  the  sleeves,  and  ruffs  for  the  neck,  were  also  the  invention 
of  Henry's  reign. 


CHAPTER    CXXXVII. 

Dudley  marries  his  Son  to  Lady  Jane  Grey,  whom  Edward  appoints 
to  be  his  Successor. — Death  of  Edward  VI. — Lady  Jane  Grey  pro- 
claimed Queen  by  Dudley. — Her  claims  not  acknowledged  by  the 
People,  and  she  yields  to  Mary. — Character  of  Lady  Jane. 

1.  The  young  king  was  now  completely  in  the  power  of  Dudley, 
who  was  created  Duke  of  Northumberland,  and  endowed  with  the 
vast  possessions  which  had  belonged  to  the  former  earl,  and  which 
had  been  forfeited  to  the  crown. 

2.  Having  attained  to  this  height  of  power  and  wealth,  his  ambi- 

VIII.'s  time?    8.  What  invention  assisted  the  toilet  of  the  ladies?    9.  How  were  clothes 
fastened  before  this  time?    10.  What  change  in  the  head-dress?    11.  What  regulations 
for  dross  ? 
CXXXVII.— 1.  What  of  the  ambition  of  Dudley?    2.  To  what  did  he  try  to  persnada 


DEATH    OF    EDWARD    VI. 1553. 


251 


tion  soared  stiJl  higher,  and  he  formed  the  project  of  raising  one  of 
his  sons  to  the  throne.  He  began  by  persuading  Edward  that  the 
declaration  of  his  sister's  incapacity  to  succeed  him  was  irreversible, 
and  that,  consequently,  as  the  Duchess  of  Suffolk  had  no  sons,  her 
eldest  daughter,  the  Duchess  of  Dorset,  was  the  undoubted  heir  to 
the  crown 


LADY  JANE  GREY- 


3.  The  duchess,  who  had  no  son,  was  willing  to  resign  her  claim 
to  her  daughter,  Lady  Jane  Grey,  and  Northumberland  married 
her  to  his  son,  Gilbert  Dudley.  Edward  felt  no  scruple  about  de- 
priving Mary  of  her  birthright,  fearing  that  her  bigotry  would  be 
hurtful  to  the  Protestant  cause. 

4.  But  he  felt  many  regrets  in  regard  to  Elizabeth,  whom  he 
affectionately  loved,  and  used  to  call  ''  his  dear  sister  Temperance." 
He,  however,  consented  to  settle  the  succession  upon  Lady  Jane 
Grey.  The  instrument  of  settlement  was  to  be  signed  by  all  the 
great  officers  of  state;  when  some  of  them  hesitated  to  do  so, 
Northumberland  violently  declared  that  he  would  fight  anybody 
in  his  shirt,  in  so  just  a  cause  as  that  of  Lady  Jane's  succession. 

5.  Cranmer  only  yielded  his  consent  to  the  pathetic  entreaties  of 
the  king,  and  Sir  James  Hales,  one  of  the  judges,  positively  refused. 
From  this  time  the  king's  health,  which  had  before  begun  to  decline, 
grew  rapidly  worse.  Northumberland  affected  an  anxious  concern 
for  him,  waited  on  him  with  the  most  assiduous  zeal,  and  dismissing 
his  physicians,  put  him  under  the  care  of  an  ignorant  old  woman, 
who  pretended  to  have  a  specific  for  his  disease. 

6.  Edward  was  so  far  from  receiving  benefit  from  her  treatment, 
that  he  soon  after  died,  on  the  6th  of  July,  1553,  in  the  sixteenth 


the  king?    3.  To  whom  did  Dudley  marry  his  son?    What  relation  was  Lady  Jane  Grey 
to  Edward?    4.  Did  Edward  yield' to  his  persuasions?    5,  6.  Relate  the  ren^aining  par 


252  LADY   JANE   GREY. — 1653. 

year  of  his  age,  and  the  seventh  of  his  reign.  His  disease  was 
probably  consumption ;  but  the  suspicions  of  Ihe  people  attributed 
his  death  to  slow  poison,  given  to  him  by  the  Dudleys ;  for  it  was 
remarked  that  his  health  had  been  declining  from  the  time  that 
Lord  Robert  Dudley  was  placed  in  close  attendance  upon  his  per- 
son. Robert  was  the  son  of  the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  of  whom 
we  shall  hear  more  under  the  title  of  Earl  of  Leicester. 

7.  Northumberland  did  not  at  once  proclaim  the  king's  death, 
for  he  had  not  yet  secured  the  persons  of  the  two  princesses.  But 
they,  having  received  intimation  of  their  danger,  put  themselves 
in  places  of  safety.  The  reason  for  secrecy  being  thus  removed, 
Northumberland  proceeded  in  state  to  the  residence  of  Lady  Jane 
Grey,  and  saluted  her  as  queen. 

8.  She  had  been  kept  in  a  great  measure  ignorant  of  the  duke's 
transactions,  and  now  received  intelligence  of  them  with  grief  and 
surprise.  She  entreated  that  the  dignity  might  not  be  forced  upon 
her,  and  pleaded  the  superior  claims  of  the  two  princesses. 

9.  But  the  duke  had  gone  too  far  to  be  stopped  in  his  career  by 
the  scruples  of  a  girl  of  sixteen ;  and  Lady  Jane,  who  was  of  a  timid 
and  gentle  disposition,  was  soon  overborne  by  the  entreaties  of  her 
father  and  father-in-law,  and  suffered  herself  to  be  proclaimed; 
and,  in  compliance  with  custom,  removed  to  the  Tower  to  pass  the 
first  days  of  her  reign. 

10.  She  had  not  long  to  endure  the  cares  of  royalty,  for  North- 
umberland found  few  supporters  in  his  scheme,  and,  after  a  joyless 
reign  of  ten  days.  Lady  Jane  returned  to  the  privacy  of  her  own 
house,  and  the  Princess  Mary  took  possession  of  the  royal  apart- 
ments in  the  Tower,  amidst  the  loudest  acclamations  of  the  people, 
who  dreaded  the  unprincipled  character  of  the  duke  more  than  the 
stern  bigotry  of  the  Princess  Mary. 

11.  Lady  Jane  Grey  was  a  singularly  excellent  woman.  Being 
of  the  same  age  with  the  late  king,  she  had  received  all  her  educa- 
tion with  him,  and  seemed  to  possess  even  greater  facility  in  acquir- 
ing knowledge.  She  had  attained  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the 
Greek  and  Latin  languages,  beside  modern  tongues. 

12.  Roger  Ascham,  tutor  to  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  having  one 
day  paid  her  a  visit,  found  her  employed  in  reading  Plato,  while 
the  rest  of  the  family  were  engaged  in  a  party  of  hunting  in  the 
park ;  and  on  his  admiring  the  singularity  of  her  choice,  she  told 
him  that  "  she  received  more  pleasure  from  that  author  than  the 
others  could  reap  from  all  their  sports  and  gayety." 

13.  In  one  version  of  the  story  it  is  added  that  she  told  Ascham 
that  she  applied  to  study  as  a  refuge  from  the  severity  of  her. 
parents,  who  used  to  "  so  sharply  taunt  her,  and  give  her  pinches^ 
nips,  and  bobs,"  if  she  displeased  them  in  the  slightest  degree,  that 
she  was  in  constant  misery  in  their  presence. 


ticTilars  of  Edward's  life.  Whon  did  he  die?  In  what  year  of  his  age?  of  liis  reign? 
What  of  Robert  Dudley  ?  7.  Why  did  Dudlej' seek  to  conceal  the  king's  death  ?  Whom 
did  he  proclaim  sovereign?  8.  What  were  Lady  Jane  Grey's  feelings?  K).  Did  sho 
retain  the  sovereignty?     11.  What  was  her  character? 


THE   MANNERS   OF   QUKEN    MAK y's   TIME. — 1553-1568.        26*6 


CHAPTER  CXXXVIII. 

7'he  Manners  of  Queen  Mary's  Time. —  The  Houses  of  the  Nobler. - 
Some  Particulars  of  the  Mode  of  Housekeeping. 


DRESS  OF  QUEEN  MARY'S  TIME. 

1.  From  the  observation  at  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter, 
we  may  conjecture  that  the  treatment  of  children  by  their  parents 
was  quite  different  from  that  adopted  at  the  present  day.  The 
harshness  of  the  English  towards  their  offspring  excited  formerly 
the  surprise  and  condemnation  of  foreigners. 

2.  Erasmus  says  that  the  English  were  like  schoolmasters  to 
their  children ;  and  that  the  schoolmasters  were  like  overseers  of 
houses  of  correction.  Children  trembled  at  the  sight  of  their 
parents,  and  the  sons,  even  when  they  were  forty  years  old,  stood 
bareheaded  before  their  fathers,  and  did  not  dare  to  speak  without 
permission. 

3.  The  grown-up  daughters  never  sat  down  in  their  mother's 
presence,  but  stood  in  respectful  silence  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
room,  and  when  weary  of  standing,  were  perhaps  allowed  to  kneel 
on  a  cushion.  It  was  a  privilege  to  be  admitted  to  their  presence 
at  all,  and  it  was  only  granted  during  short  and  stated  periods  ol 
the  day. 

4.  The  ladies  in  Queen  Mary's  reign  carried  fans  with  handles  a 
yard  long.    The  use  of  these  handles  one  would  hardly  guess ;  for 


CXXXVIT7  —1,  2,  3,  How  were  children  treated  formerly  in  England?    4.  What  wer« 
22 


254  HOUSES    OF   THE   NOBLES  AND    HOUSEKEEPING. 

they  were  to  beat  their  daughters  with.  After  this  account  of  the 
severity  of  parents,  it  need  not  surprise  us  to  learn  that  the  nobility 
were  often  employed  as  jailers. 

5.  When  any  person  of  rank  was  to  be  put  under  confinement,  it 
was  no  uncommon  thing  to  commit  him  to  the  custody  of  some 
nobleman,  whose  house  was  thus  converted  into  a  prison.  Indeed, 
the  dwellings  of  the  nobility  were  so  surrounded  by  walls  that  they 
seemed  as  if  they  had  been  built  for  prisons  originally. 

6.  Let  us  imagine  that  we  enter  one  of  these  old  houses,  and  look 
at  things  as  they  were  two  or  three  hundred  years  ago.  We  will 
begin  our  survey  at  the  kitchen,  where  we  should  probably  see,  if  it 
was  before  eleven  o'clock  in  the  day,  a  huge  fire,  with  a  monstrous 
piece  of  meat  roasting  before  it,  turned  by  a  poor  miserable  boy, 
whose  business  it  was  to  act  as  turnspit,  before  smoke-jacks  and 
roasters  were  invented. 

7.  Let  us  next  proceed  to  the  great  hall,  where  the  lord  of  the 
mansion  passed  the  day,  and  which  in  the  night  we  should  find 
spread  with  beds  for  the  men-servants  to  sleep  on.  This  hall  we 
should  observe  to  be  covered  with  rushes,  under  which  was  the 
accumulated  dirt  of  twenty  years,  for  so  filthy  were  the  English 
habits  at  this  period,  that  Erasmus  attributes  to  this  circumstance 
the  great  prevalence  of  contagious  disorders  in  England. 

8.  An  Earl  of  Northumberland,  who  lived  in  the  reign  of  Henry 
VIL,  wrote  a  book  of  directions  for  the  management  of  his  house- 
hold. This  is  still  preserved,  and  is  called  the  Northumberland 
Household  Book.  In  it  the  earl  enters  into  the  most  minute 
particulars. 

9.  He  even  directs  the  number  of  fagots  to  be  allowed  to  each 
fire,  and  gives  the  items  of  what  the  men-servants  were  to  have  for 
their  breakfast,  and  the  number  of  bones  of  mutton  that  were  to  be 
provided  for  his  own.  The  family  consisted  of  166  persons,  and 
the  allowance  of  meat  and  drink  was  quite  sufficient,  but  the  stock 
of  house-linen  was  surprisingly  small. 

10.  There  were  only  eight  table-cloths  "for  ray  lord's  table,"  and 
one  for  the  upper  servants,  which  was  washed  once  a  month.  The 
earl  divided  the  year  between  three  different  houses,  but  he  had 
furniture  only  for  one;  so  that,  when  he  removed  from  one  to 
another,  all  his  household  goods  were  removed  also,  even  to  the 
saucepans  for  the  kitchen. 

11.  Everything  was  packed  upon  seventeen  carts  and  one  wagon ; 
and  this  might  well  be  sufficient,  since  one  large  table  and  three 
long  benches  constituted  the  whole  of  the  furniture  of  the  state 
apartment. 

12.  A  removal  at  the  present  day  is  apt  to  make  sad  work  with 
the  china  and  glass ;  but  there  was  no  such  danger  in  those  days. 
Drinking-glasses  were  not  made  in  England  till  the  time  of  Queen 
Mary,  and  were  at  first  considered  more  precious  than  silver.  Aa 
for  looking-glasses,  there  were  very  few  in  use,  and  these  were  prob- 

fans  used  for?  6,  7.  Describe  the  dwellings  of  the  nobles.  8,  9, 10, 11, 12.  Relate  ecmt 
particulare  of  tho  mode  of  life. 


MORE   ABOUT    THE    ENGLISH    IN   THE    16TH    CENTURY.    255 

ably  very  small,  and  commonly    carried  by  the  ladies  in  theil 
pockets,  or  hung  to  their  girdles. 


CHAPTER    CXXXIX. 

More  about  the  Manners  of  the  English  in  the  Sixteenth  Century.- 
About  Commerce. — Disastrous  Voyage  of  Sir  Hugh  Willoughby. 


,  SHIPS  OF  THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY. 

1.  The  following  amusing  account  of  the  manners  of  the  English 
is  written  by  a  French  priest,  who  visited  England  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  VI.  We  will  give  his  own  words:  "The  people  of  this 
country  have  a  mortal  aversion  to  the  French,  and  in  common  call 
us  France  knave,  or  France  dog. 

2.  "The  people  of  this  land  make  good  cheer,  and  dearly  love 
junketing.  The  men  are  large,  handsome,  and  ruddy,  with  flaxen 
hair.  Their  women  are  the  greatest  beauties  in  the  world,  and  as 
fair  as  alabaster.  The  English  in  general  are  cheerful,  and  love 
music ;  they  are  likewise  great  drunkards. 

3.  "In  this  land  they  commonly  make  use  of  silver  vessels  when 
they  drink  wine.  The  servants  wait  on  their  masters  bareheaded, 
and  leave  their  caps  on  the  buffet,  (side-board.)     It  is  noted  that  in 


OXXXIX.— 1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  Relate  what  the  French  traveller  says  of  the  EngliBh  in  Ed 


256    DISASTKOUS    FATE    OF   biR    HUGH    WILLOlfGHBY. 1653. 

this  excellent  kingdom  there  is  no  kind  of  good  order  ;  the  people 
are  reprobates,  and  thorough  enemies  of  good  manners. 

4.  "  In  the  windows  of  the  houses  are  plenty  of  flowers,  and  at 
their  taverns  a  plenty  of  rushes  on  their  wooden  floors,  and  many 
cushions  of  tajjiestry,  on  which  travellers  seat  themselvr<.  The 
English  consume  great  quantities  of  beer ;  the  poor  people  drink 
out  of  wooden  cups.  They  eat  much  whiter  bread  than  is  com- 
monly made  in  France. 

5.  "  With  their  beer  they  have  a  custom  of  eating  very  soft  saflron 
cakes,  in  w^liich  are  likewise  raisins.  It  is  likewise  to  be  noted  that 
the  servants  carry  pointed  bucklers,  even  those  of  bishops.  And  the 
husbandmen,  when  they  till  the  ground,  commonly  have  their  buck- 
lers, swords,  and  sometimes  their  bows,  in  one  corner  of  the  field." 

6.  To  this  account  we  may  add,  that  the  cookery  was  distin- 
guished for  a  profusion  of  hot  spices ;  and  that,  at  entertainments, 
the  rank  of  the  guests  was  discriminated  by  their  position  above  or 
below  the  salt-cellar,  which  was  placed  invariably  in  the  middle 
of  the  table.  The  chief  servants  always  attended  above  the  salt- 
cellar, below  which  the  table  was  crowded  with  poor  dependants, 
whom  the  guests  despised,  and  the  servants  neglected. 

7.  Before  the  Keformation,  churchmen  affected  a  greater  state  than 
the  nobility.  The  Abbot  of  St.  Albans  dined  alone  at  the  middle  of 
a  table  elevated  fifteen  steps  above  the  floor  of  the  hall,  and  the  monks 
who  served  his  dinner,  at  every  fifth  step  performed  a  hymn. 

8.  Commerce  had  heretofore  been  chiefly  carried  on  by  foreign 
merchants,  who,  from  tfie  place  where  they  had  been  accustomed 
to  transact  their  business,  were  called  Merchants  of  the  Steel  Yard. 
But  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.,  many  of  the  privileges  of  these 
merchants  were  taken  f'^Zia  them,  and  the  native  English  were 
encouraged  to  enter  into  trade. 

9.  The  discovery  of  America  occasioned  a  greater  demand  for 
ships,  and  an  increase  of  commerce,  which  had  never  at  any  former 
period  flourished  so  much.  There  arose  also  an  unusual  demand 
for  woollen  cloth,  which  gave  great  encouragement  to  the  English 
manufacturers,  and  first  brought  "Wakefield  and  Leeds  into  notice 
as  manufacturing  towns. 

10.  The  spirit  of  enterprise  which  had  distinguished  the  youth  of 
Sebastian  Cabot,  was  not  wanting  in  his  old  age.  In  1553,  being 
the  governor  of  the  company  of  Merchant  Adventurers,  he  fitted 
out  an  expedition,  consisting  of  three  vessels,  under  the  command 
of  Sir  Hugh  Willoughby,  to  attempt  the  discovery  of  a  northeast 
passage  to  India. 

1 1.  The  fate  of  Sir  Hugh,  and  the  companies  of  two  of  the  vessels, 
was  most  disastrous.  Having  put  into  a  port  of  Lapland  to  winter, 
they  were  found  there  the  next  spring  frozen  to  death.  The  third 
vessel,  commanded  by  Eichard  Chancelor,  was  more  fortunate,  who, 
having  wintered  at  Archangel,  and  opened  an  intercourse  with  Russia, 

ward  VI.'s  time.  6.  What  of  the  cookery?  Of  the  entertainments?  7.  What  of  the 
pomp  of  the  cJergy?  8.  What  of  the  state  of  trade?  9.  Wliat  occasioned  a  demand  foi 
ihipj?     10, 11.  What  discovery  was  made?     What  new  trade  opt-.. e'l?  •' 


CHARACTER   OF   v<^UEEN   MARY. 


257 


reached  home  in  safety.     A  company  was  formed  to  trade  mth 
Russia,  of  which  Cabot  was  appointed  governor  for  life. 


CHAPTEE    CXL. 

Queen  Mai^. — She  restores  the  Popish  Religion,-  Persecution  of  Cran- 
mer. — Marriage  of  the  Queen. — Rebellion  in  consequence  of  it. — 
Execution  of  Lady  Jane  Grey. 


DEATH   OF  JjADY   JANE  GREY. 

1.  Mary  was  in  her  thirty-seventh  year  at  the  time  of  her  brotli  er^s 
death.  She  possessed  few  qualities  either  estimable  or  amiable ;  and 
her  person  was  as  little  engaging  as  her  behavior  and  ad  Iress.  She 
inherited  her  mother's  gravity  with  her  father's  violence  and  obstinate 
temper;  the  natural  sourness  of  which  had  been  increased  by  the 
early  mortifications  to  which  she  had  been  subjected. 

2.  Her  education  had  been  almost  entirely  neglected.  During  her 
father's  life  she  had  lived  for  the  most  part  in  a  species  of  confinement ; 
and  though  more  at  liberty  during  the  reign  of  her  brother,  still  she 


CXL.— 1,  2.  What  of  Mary? 
22* 


3.  What  was  her  first  act?     4.  What  did  she  do  ir 


258        KESTORATION    OF    THE    P«)PISH    RELIGION. 1553. 

led  a  dull  and  secluded  life ;  and  the  great  affection  and  constant 
intercourse  which  subsisted  between  Edward  and  Elizabeth  must 
have  been  a  renewed  source  of  unhappiness  to  her. 

3.  The  first  act  of  her  reign  led  the  people  to  hope  that  they  had 
been  deceived  in  her  character.  She  restored  to  liberty  the  old 
Duke  of  Norfolk,  who  had  languished  in  prison,  Avith  his  unexecuted 
sentence  hanging  over  his  head,  ever  since  the  death  of  Henry  VIII. 
She  also  exhibited  moderation  in  the  punishment  of  the  supporters- 
of  Lady  Jane  Grey.  Northumberland  was  the  only  man  of  rank 
who  suffered  death.  Lady  Jane  and  her  husband  were  condemned 
to  death,  but  on  account  of  their  youth  and  innocence  thgy  were 
not  executed,  but  kept  in  prison. 

4.  The  next  act  of  the  queen  was  to  reinstate  Gardiner,  Bonner, 
and  Tonstall  in  their  several  bishoprics,  of  which  they  had  been 
deprived  in  the  last  reign.  With  their  assistance  she  hastened  to 
overturn  the  fabric  of  the  Eeformation,  and  to  restore  the  old  re- 
ligion, and  to  replace  everything  on  its  old  footing. 

5.  The  pope  made  some  difficulty  about  receiving  within  the  pale 
of  the  church  such  a  country  of  heretics  as  England ;  but  th^  was 
at  length  overcome,  and  Cardinal  de  la  Pole  was  appointed^tegate, 
or  the  pope's  representative,  in  England.  But  though  Maiy  could 
restore  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Romish  Church;  she  found  it 
impossible  to  recover  to  their  former  uses  the  lands  p,nd  buildi^jgs 
of  the  religious  houses. 

6.  Seeing  the  storm  that  was  approaching,  the  foreign  Protestants 
hastily  left  England,  and  the  country  thus  lost  tlie  services  of  some 
of  the  most  skilful  artisans  and  mechanics.  Many  English  gentle- 
men also  left  the  country.  Cranmer  was  advised  to  f]y ;  but  he  said 
he  had  been  too  much  concerned  in  every  measure  of  the  Reforma- 
tion to  desert  its  cause. 

7.  The  queen  had  early  marked  him  for  destruction.  She  was 
not  of  a  temper  to  forget  an  injury,  and  hated  him  for  the  share  he 
had  had  in  her  mother's  divorce ;  which  the  many  good  offices  he 
had  done  to  herself  could  never  atone  for  in  her  eyes.  Many  times, 
as  she  well  knew,  the  good  archbishop  had  stood  between  her  and 
her  father's  wrath. 

8.  Upon  one  occasion  Henry  had  determined  on  her  death,  and 
was  only  prevented  by  Cranmer's  remonstrances  from  putting  his 
purpose  in  execution,  while  the  time-serving  Gardiner  stood  by 
without  uttering  a  word  in  her  behalf.  But  all  these  things  were 
forgotten,  and  Cranmer  was  imprisoned  in  the  common  jail  at  Oxford. 

9.  His  life  was  spared  for  the  present  by  the  intervention  of 
Gardiner,  who  knew  that  the  queen  intended,  on  Cranmer's  death, 
to  give  the  archbishopric  to  Cardinal  de  la  Pole,  a  man  whom  he 
hated,  because  his  mild  and  benignant  disposition  led  him  con- 
stantly to  oppose  his  own  violent  and  sanguinary  counsels. 

10.  The  queen  now  turned  her  thoughts  upon  marriage.  The 
engaging  person  and  address  of  the  young  Gourtenay,  Earl  of  Devon- 


regard  to  religion  ?    5.  What  of  the  pope  ?    6.  What  did  the  Protestants  do  ?    7.  What 
'^f  Cranmer?     How  had  he  deserved  well  of  Mary?     9.  Why  was  his   life  spared 


EXECUTION   OF   LADY   JANE   GREY. — 1554.  259 

shire,  a  son  of  the  Marquis  of  Exeter,  had  ipade  an  impression  on 
her  heart,  of  which  he  received  many  intinMtions.  But  the  noble- 
man neglected  these  overtures,  and  seemed  rather  to  attach  himself 
to  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  whose  youth  and  agreeable  conversation 
he  preferred  to  all  the  power  and  grandeur  of  her  sister. 

11.  The  ancient  quarrel  between  their  mothers  had  sunk  deep 
into  the  indignant  heart  of  Mary ;  the  attachment  of  Elizabeth  to 
the  reformed  religion  offended  her  bigotry;  but  when  ghe  found 
that  her  sister  had  obstructed  her  views  in  a  point, which,  perhaps, 
touched  her  still  more  nearly,  her  resentment  knew  no  bounds; 
and  the  princess  was  visibly  exposed  to  the  greatest  danger. 

12.  Courtenay's  place  in  the  qupen's  affection  was  soon  supplied ; 
for,  in  1554,  she  accepted  proposals  made  to  her  by  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.  fo;*  a  marriage  with  his  only  feon,  Philip.  The  match 
was  exceedingly  disliked  by  the  English,  who  were  well  aware  of 
Philip's  cruelty  and  sullenness  of  temper. 

13.  Although  it  was  agreed  that  neither  Philip  nor  any  foreigner 
4L0uld  have  any  share  in  the  government,  stiil  so  great  an  alarm 
.^s  excited  that  a  formidable  insurrection  broke  out  in  Kent,  which 
"Fas  headed  by  Sir  Thomas  Wyatt,  who,  having  travelled  in  Spain, 
brought  home  such  an  account  of  Philip,  as  added  to  the  previous 
liorror  entertained  of  him. 

14.  The  avowed  object  of  the  rebels  was  to  dethrone  Mary,  and 
place  Lady  Jane  Grey  on  the  throne ;  but  the  want  of  an  efficient 
leader  rendered  the  project  abortive.  The  rebels  dispersed  of  their 
own  accord,  and  Wyatt  and  400  more  w^re  taken  and  executed. 
Soon  afterwards  Lady  Jane  Grey,  whose  fate  it  was  always  to  suffer 
for  the  faults  of  others,  was  warned  to  prepare  for  death. 

15.  Her  constancy  to  the  reformed  religion  could  not  be  shaken, 
and  she  employed  a  portion  of  the  little  time  left  her  in  writing  in 
Gr^k  a  farewell  letter  to  her  sister,  exhorting  her  to  be  firm  in  her 
faith.  Lord  Guilford  Dudley  was  also  condemned  to  die,  and  en- 
treated to  have  a  parting  interview ;  but  Jane  refused,  lest  the  afflic- 

I  tion  of  such  a  meeting  should  overcome  their  fortitude.  "  Their 
separation,"  she  said,  "would  be  only  for  a  moment;  and  they 
would  soon  rejoin  each  other  in  a  scene  where  their  affections 
would  be  forever  united,  and  where  nothing  could  have  access  to 
disturb  their  eternal  happiness." 

16.  She  appeared  on  the  scaffold  with  a  serene  countenance,  and 
declared  that  she  had  greatly  erred  in  not  having  more  firmly  re- 
fused the  crown ;  but  that  filial  reverence,  and  not  her  own  ambi- 
tion, had  been  the  cause  of  her  fault.  Her  father  was  beheaded 
soon  after,  and  the  queen  became  so  suspicious  that  the  prisons 
were  filled  with  nobles  and  gentlemen. 

17.  Mary  now  sent  a  fleet  to  escort  Philip  to  England ;  but  the 
admiral  informed  her  that  he  dared  not  receive  him  on  board,  lest 
the  soldiers  should  commit,  some  violence  against  him.  Such  was 
the  detestation  in  which  he  was  held.    At  last  he  arrived  in  a 

12.  Whom  did  the  qnooR  xnarry?  How  did  the  English  like  the  match?  13.  What  wa» 
tho  consequence?    15,  W  Relate  the  v^jmaining  particulars  of  Lady  Jane  Grey's  life. 


260 


PERSECUTION    OF   THE   PROTESTANTS. 1555. 


vessel  of  his  own,  and  the  marriage  was  celebrated  at  Westminstei 
in  July,  1554. 


CHAPTER  CXLI. 

Persecution  of  the  Protestants. — Martyrdom  of  Latimer,  Ridley,  ana 
Hooper. — Death  of  Gardiner. — Martyrdom  of  Oranmer. 


BUKBTINQ   OF  RID  ,EY  AND  DATIMER. 


1.  From  this  time  the  chief  business  of  parliament  was  to  guard 
against  the  encroachments  of  Philip;  while  Mary's  only  anxiety 
was  to  increase  the  power  and  influence  of  a  husband  on  whom 
she  doted  with  a  troublesome  fondness,  though  he,  on  his  part, 
could  with  difficulty  conceal  his  own  dislike  to  his  unengaging 
partner. 

2.  On  one  subject,  however,  they  were  perfectly  agreed,  and  that 
was  the  desire  to  extirpate  heresy,  even  by  the  most  violent  and 
sanguinary  measures.  Gardiner  entered  fully  into  their  views,  but 
finding  this  work  of  cruelty  more  arduous  than  he  had  expected, 
he  turned  it  over  to  Bonner,  a  man  of  such  inhumanity  of  nature, 
that  he  even  delighted  to  see  the  dying  agonies  of  the  sufferers,  and 
would  often  take  upon  himself  the  office  of  executioner. 


CXLI. — 1.  What  were  the  respective  feelings  of  Philip  and  Mary  for  one  anothori 


MARTYRDOM    OF    RIDLEY    AND    LATIMER. — 1555  261 

3.  In  the  course  of  the  next  three  years,  nearly  300  perfeous  were 
burned  alive,  martyrs  to  their  religion.  Latimer  and  Ridley  were 
among  the  first  who  suffered.  Such  was  the  inveteracy  of  Gar- 
diner against  these  two  venerable  and  pious  men,  that,  on  the  day 
of  their  death,  he  made  a  vow  that  he  would  not  dine  until  he  re- 
ceived information  that  fire  was  set  to  the  fagots  with  which  they 
were  to  be  burned. 

4.  Though  the  messenger  did  not  arrive  so  soon  as  he  expected, 
Gardiner  would  not  break  his  vow,  but  kept  the  old  Duke  of  Nor- 
folk, who  was  that  day  his  guest,  waiting  from  eleven  (the  then 
usual  dinner-hour)  till  three  o'clock.  But  when  the  desired  intel- 
ligence arrived,  and  dinner  was  served  up,  Gardiner  did  not  par- 
take of  it ;  for  he  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  carried  to  his  bed, 
from  which  he  never  rose. 

5.  Hooper,  Bishop  of  Gloucester,  was  another  of  the  martyrs. 
When  he  was  tied  to  the  stake,  the  queen's  pardon  was  placed  on 
a  stool  before  him;  and  if  he  would  have  recanted,  he  had  but  to 
stretch  forth  his  hand  to  save  his  life;  but  he  would  not  purchase 
it  at  such  a  price. 

6.  Gardiner's  death  hastened  that  of  Cranmer.  No  opposition 
was  now  made  to  the  queen's  wish  that  he  should  be  put  to  death, 
and  he  was  condemned  to  be  burned  at  Oxford.  But  the  queen's 
resentment  went  further ;  she  wished  to  degrade  him  in  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  world,  and  employed  people  to  persuade  him  that  his 
life  was  so  valuable  to  his  country  that  he  ought  to  save  it  by  any 
means. 

7.  They  were  also  authorized  to  promise  him  a  pardon  if  he 
would  recant — a  promise,  however,  which  Mary  never  meant  to 
keep.  In  a  moment  of  weakness  Cranmer  signed  a  paper,  express- 
ing his  belief  in  the  popish  doctrines ;  but  Mary  sent  him  word 
that  this  was  not  sufiicient,  and  that  he  must  acknowledge  his  errors 
in  the  church,  before  the  people. 

8.  The  strength  of  Cranmer's  mind  now  returned ;  and  when  he 
was  brought  forth  to  make  his  public  recantation,  instead  of  doing 
so  he  bitterly  bewailed  his  weakness,  and  asserted  his  firm  belief  in 
the  Protestant  faith.  He  was,  therefore,  immediately  led  forth  to 
execution. 

9.  When  the  fagots  were  on  fire,  he  stretched  out  his  right  hand, 
with  which  he  had  signed  the  paper,  and  held  it  in  the  flames  till 
it  was  consumed,  saying  frequently,  "This  hand  has  offended;" 
then,  as  if  his  mind  was  more  at  ease  for  having  made  this  atone- 
ment, his  countenance  became  full  of  peaceful  serenity,  and  he 
appeared  insensible  to  all  worldly  suffering.  The  next  day  Cardinal 
de  la  Pole  was  made  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  he  showed  so 
much  lenity  towards  the  Protestants  as  to  excite  the  displeasure  of 
the  pope. 

2.  In  what  did  they  agree?  By  whom  seconded?  3.  Who  were  among  the  first  mar- 
tyrs? Relate  the  particulars  of  Gardiner's  death.  5.  What  of  Hooper's  death?  7 
What  instance  of  Cranmer's  weakness  ?    8,  9.  How  did  ho  atone  for  it? 


262  xJATTLE   OF   ST.   QUENTIN. — 1557. 


CHAPTER  CXLII. 

Philip  leaves  England. —  War  with  France. — Arbitrary  mode  of  raisimj 
Money. — Battle  of  St.  Quentin. —  The  English  lose  Calais'. — Death 
of  3£ary. 

1.  Philip  soon  became  weary  of  England,  and  went  to  Flanders ; 
and  the  queen,  seeing  herself  treated  with  indiiference  and  neglect, 
spent  her  time  in  lamentations,  and  in  writing  long  letters  to  him, 
which  he  never  condescended  to  answer,  perhaps  never  to  read. 
The  more  he  slighted  her,  the  more  she  doted  on  him;  and  to  pro- 
cure money,  in  the  hope  of  winning  him  back,  she  loaded  the 
people  with  taxes. 

2.  In  1556,  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  wearied  with  the  cares  of 
royalty,  took  the  extraordinary  resolution  of  resigning  all  his 
dominions  to  his  son  Philip,  and  of  passing  the  remainder  of  his 
days  in  a  monastery.  Philip,  who  had  the  ambition  but  not  the 
talents  of  his  father,  immediately  declared  war  against  France. 

3.  The  queen  could  not  prevail  upon  her  council  to  give  their 
consent  to  join  it.  When  Philip,  however,  came  to  London,  and 
protested  that  he  would  never  set  foot  again  in  England,  unless  war 
was  declared  against  France,  the  queen,  almost  frantic,  pressed  the 
matter  so  urgently  as  to  overcome  the  reluctance  of  the  council. 

4.  War  was  declared;  but  Mary's  resources  were  already  ex- 
hausted in  furnishing  Philip  with  money;  and  she  was  obliged  to 
resort  to  the  most  unjust  measured  to  extort  the  means  of  fitting 
out  a  fleet  and  raising  an  army.  To  deter  the  people  from  rising 
in  rebellion,  she  caused  many  of  the  most  considerable  gentry  to  be 
imprisoned,  and  adopted  the  Spanish  custom  of  having  them  seized 
in  the  night,  and  carried  off  hoodwinked,  that  they  might  not  be 
known,  nor  see  to  what  place  they  were  conducted. 

5.  The  army  took  part  in  the  battle  of  St.  Quentin,  in  which 
Philip  gained  a  complete  victory  over  the  French.  But  Mary's 
triumph  at  this  success  was  of  but  short  duration.  Though  every- 
thing else  in  France  had  been  lost  to  the  English,  they  had  still 
preserved  Calais,  which  had  been  guarded  as  the  chief  jewel  of  the 
crown  by  every  sovereign,  since  Edward  II.,  who  obtained  it. 

6.  It  had  been  strongly  fortified,  and  so  well  garrisoned,  that  the 
French  had  never  attempted  to  recover  it.  But  in  Mary's  feeble 
reign  the  monks  and  bigots  who  composed  her  ministry  thought 
more  of  burning  heretics  than  of  any  other  concern  of  state.  They 
had  neglected  to  keep  the  fortifications  in  repair,  and  to  save  the 
charge  of  what  they  supposed  an  unnecessary  garrison,  withdrew 
the  greater  part  of  it  during  the  winter  months. 

7.  The  Duke  of  Guise  being  well  informed  of  all  this,  determined 
to  attempt  the  recovery  of  the  town.    He  accordingly  appeared  un- 

CXLII.— 1.  How  did  Philip  treat  Mary  ?    2,  When  did  Philip  beconiS  Kii)g  of  Spain 
What   measure  did  ha  adopt?    3.  What  did  Mary  do  in  consequence?     How  did  she 
raise  money?    5.  What  victory  was    gained?    What  loss  did    the  country  sustain? 


DEATH   OF   MARY. — 1558.  *26( 

expectedly  before  it,  and,  after  a  siege  of  eight  days,  made  himself 
master  of  a  fortress  which  had  been  deemed  impregnable,  and  had 
been  for  two  hundred  years  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  France. 

8.  The  news  of  this  event  struck  a  universal  dismay  throughout 
England,  and  the  queen  declared  that,  when  she  died,  the  word 
Calais  would  be  found  engraved  upon  her  heart.  In  fact,  her 
health  declined  visibly  from  this  time.  She  dragged  on  a  few 
miserable  months,  and  died  November  17,  1558,  in  the  forty-third 
year  of  her  age,^nd  the  sixth  of  her  reign. 

9.  Thus  endeo^tjjj^life  of  this  unhappy  woman,  who,  by  the  bad- 
ficss  of  her  temper,  made  herself,  and  everybody  about  her,  miserable. 
The  Cardinal  de  la  Pole  died  on  the  same  day  with  the  queen,  and 
left  an  unsullied  name  behind  him. 

FAMILY  OP  MARY. 

HUSBAND. 

Philip,  King  of  Spain,  son  of  Charles  V. 
She  had  no  ohildreu. 


CHAPTER  CXLIII. 

Elizabeth  proclaimed  Queen. — Her  Character. —  The  Reformed  Faith 
restored.  —  Beforms  in  Public  Affairs. — Frosperotis  State  of  the 
Kingdom. 

1.  When  Mary's  death  was  announced  to  the  parliament,  which 
happened  to  be  in  session,  the  members  all  sprang  from  their  seats ; 
and  shouts  of  joy,  and  the  words  "  God  save  Queen  Elizabeth  1" 
were  heard  to  resound  on  every  side.  When  the  news  spread 
abroad,  the  transport  of  the  people  was  so  great  that  they  hurried 
in  crowds  to  Hatfield,  where  Elizabeth  was  then  residing,  and 
escorted  her  in  triumph  to  London. 

2.  Elizabeth  was  now  twenty-fi.ve  years  old.  Her  temper  was 
very  impetuous ;  but  there  was  a  spirit  and  animation  about  her, 
with  a  cheerfulness  and  gayety  of  heart  which  made  her  occasional 
bursts  of  passion  to  be  overlooked  and  forgiven.  There  had  been 
no  opportunity  for  displaying  that  vanity  and  caprice,  which,  in 
her  la,ter  years,  made  her  both  vexatious  and  ridiculous. 

3.  She  had  a  tall,  commanding  person ;  her  forehead  was  high 
and  open,  her  nose  aquiline,  her  comj^lexion  pale,  and  her  hair  in- 
clining to  yellow.  Her  features  were  good,  but  the  length  and 
narrowness  of  her  face  prevented  her  from  having  any  just  preten^ 
sions  to  beauty. 

4.  The  new  queen  seemed  anxious  to  forget  her  former  suflferinga, 
and  never  showed  any  resentment  towards  those  who  had  been  in- 

Kalate  the  particulars.    8,  When  did  the  queen  die?    In  what  year  of  her  age?    Of  her 
roign  ?    9.  Who  died  oa  the  same  day  ?  ' 

CXLIII.— 1.  With  what  feelings  was  the  news  of  Mary's  death  received?    3.  Wh»U 


264  ELIZABETH. — HER   CHARACTER, — 1558. 

strumental  in  inflicting  them.  Even  Sir  Richard  Banefield,  in 
whose  custody  she  had  been  for  a  time,  and  whom  she  had  found  a 
most  severe  and  churlish  jailer,  experienced  no  other  punishment 
or  rebuke  than  that  of  her  telling  him  that  he  should  have  the  cus- 
tody of  any  state  prisoner  whom  she  wished  to  have  treated  with 
peculiar  severity. 

5.  The  cruel  Bonner  was  the  only  one  of  her  sister's  ministers  to 
whom  she  showed  any  marked  dislike.  When  he  came  to  make 
his  obeisance  to  her,  she  turned  from  him  with  horror,  and  would 
neither  speak  to  him  nor  look  at  him.  The  first  great  anxiety  of 
the  Protestants  was  to  have  a  settlement  of  the  affairs  of  the 
Church.  Elizabeth  proceeded  with  great  prudence  and  caution, 
and  soon  restored  the  state  of  things  which  had  existed  at  her 
brother's  death,  and  all  without  one  drop  of  blood  being  spilled,  or 
a  single  estate  confiscated. 

6.  At  the  same  time  the  queen  was  busily  employed  in  arranging 
the  other  affairs  of  her  kingdom.  The  coins,  though  nominally  of 
the  same  value  as  heretofore,  had  been  debased  during  the  three 
last  reigns,  by  an  undue  mixture  of  inferior  metals.  Elizabeth 
called  in  this  base  money,  and  issued  coin  of  the  standard  value. 
She  filled  her  arsenals  with  arms,  and  introduced  the  manufacture 
of  gunpowder  into  England ;  the  militia  were  well  disciplined ;  and, 
in  short,  the  country  was  put  in  a  complete  state  of  defence. 

7.  She  encouraged  agriculture,  trade,  and  navigation,  and  in- 
creased her  navy  so  much  that  she  has  been  called  "the  queen  of 
the  northern  seas."  Her  wise  government  was  respected  abroad 
and  prosperous  at  home.  She  was  extremely  sagacious  in  the 
choice  of  ministers;  Lord  Burleigh,  her  treasurer,  and  Walsing- 
ham,  her  secretary,  were  men  of  extraordinary  abilities  and 
integrity. 

8.  While  affairs  were  managed  with  so  much  vigor  and  success, 
the  people  were  scarcely  aware  in  how  great  a  degree  their  sharp- 
witted  queen  kept  enlarging  her  prerogatives,  nor  how  muoh  their 
liberties  were  infringed.  In  all  cases  in  which  her  own  authority 
was  concerned,  she  was  decided  and  peremptory;  and  she  had 
generally  such  good  reasons  to  give  for  all  she  did,  and  was  so 
frugal  of  expense,  that  the  mass  of  the  people,  though  kept  in  great 
subjection,  were  enthusiastically  fond  of  her. 

3f  the  character  of  Elizabeth?  4.  What  of  her  person?  5.  How  did  she  treat  her  ene- 
xies?  What  of  the  Church  ?  6.  What  measure  did  she  adopt  in  state  affairs  ?  7.  What 
of  her  conduct  in  general  ?     Who  were  her  chief  ministers  ?     8.  What  of  the  people? 


A    GLIMPSE    AT   THE    COURT   OF    ELIZABETH.  265 


CHAPTER  CXLIV. 

A  Glimpse  at  the  Interior  of  Elizabeth^s  Court. — Robert  Dudley. — 
Many  Suitors  for  the  Queen^s  hand. — She  declares  that  sht  will  never 
marry. 

1.  The  interior  of  the  court  of  Elizabeth  presented  a  most  extra- 
ordinary scene.  The  rivalries  and  jealousies  of  the  courtiers  were 
a  continual  source  of  discord.  The  queen  herself  encouraged  their 
rivalries  in  order  to  retain  them  in  more  subservience  to  herself; 
and  certainly  the  awe  of  her,  which  they  seem  to  have  felt,  and  the 
flattery  they  offered  up  to  her,  appear  to  us  quite  unaccountable 
and  ridiculous. 

2.  But  though  she  liked  and  required  adulation,  she  had  too 
much  sense  to  be  wholly  blinded  by  it.  She  saw  the  follies  of 
those  about  her,  and  turned  them  to  her  own  purpose,  and  seemed 
to  manage  her  courtiers  much  like  puppets,  by  wires  that  were  out 
of  sight.  She  intrusted  all  affairs  of  state  to  men  of  sense,  but  she 
filled  her  court  with  frivolous  characters,  with  whom  she  could 
unbend  from  the  cares  of  royalty. 

3.  Having  a  gay  and  lively  disposition,  she  sometimes  treated 
them  with  an  extraordinary  degree  of  familiarity,  or,  as  it  would 
appear  to  us,  strange  rudeness,  such  as  slapping  them  on  their 
back,  and  patting  their  cheeks.  But  if  any  of  them  presumed 
upon  this  freedom,  she  could  instantly  resume  her  dignity,  and  by 
a  severe  look,  or  a  cutting  word,  check  all  further  frowardness. 

4.  She  knew  very  well  how  to  keep  up  her  own  dignity.  One 
writer  thus  speaks  of  her:  "She  is  the  very  image  of  majesty  and 
magnificence."  He  goes  on  to  say,  "  She  is  accustomed  to  march 
with  leisure,  and  with  a  certain  granditie  rather  than  gravity,  unless 
it  be  when  she  walketh  apace  for  her  pleasure,  or  to  catch  a  heat  in 
cold  weather." 

5.  Her  chief  favorite  was  Robert  Dudley,  whom  she  created  Earl 
of  Leicester.  His  handsome  person  and  pleasing  address  gained  for 
him  the  queen's  favor,  and  his  assiduous  attentions,  which  were 
pleasing  to  her  vanity,  retained  it  for  him.  He  was  guilty  of  many 
infamous  crimes,  but  he  had  the  art  of  deceiving  the  queen,  both 
as  to  his  merits  and  his  abilities,  and  continued  in  favor  till  his 
death,  in  1588. 

6.  As  we  may  suppose,  there  were  many  suitors  for  the  hand  of 
Elizabeth.  No  sooner  did  Philip  hear  of  Mary's  death  than  he 
proposed  himself  in  marriage  to  her  successor.  Elizabeth  delayed 
giving  an  answer  as  long  as  she  could,  and  when  she  sent  her  re- 
fusal, she  took  the  opportunity  of  declaring  to  her  parliament  a 
determination  to  lead  a  single  life. 

7.  Notwithstanding  this  declaration,  she  some  time  afterwards 
admitted  the  addresses  of  the  Duke  of  Anjou,  brother  to  the  King 

CXLIV.— 1.  What  of  the  state  of  Elizabeth's  court  ?    3,  How  did  she  treat  her  c  jurtiera  ? 
23 


266 


ELIZABETHS    COSTUME. 


of  France.  After  keeping  him  a  long  time  in  suspense,  she  at  last 
broke  oif  the  match,  probably  through  fear  of  lessening  her  own 
authority  if  she  admitted  another  to  share  it; 

8.  In  the  year  1563,  Elizabeth  caught  the  small-pox,  and  for 
some  days  her  life  was  considered  to  be  in  danger.  Upon  her  re- 
covery, the  parliament  besought  her  either  to  marry  or  to  name 
her  successor.  Both  these  requests  were  very  disj)leasing  to  Eliza- 
beth. She  gave  them  encouragement,  however,  that  at  some  day 
or  other  she  would  marry. 

9.  Immediately  on  this  declaration  she  was  beset  with  princely 
suitors;  but,  either  from  coquetry  or  policy,  siie  always  avoided,  as 
long  as  possible,  the  giving  a  decisive  answer,  and  kept  all  persons, 
both  friends  and  enemies,  in  entire  suspense  as  to  her  real  intentions. 


CHAPTER  CXLV. 

Elizabeth^ 8  Costume, — The  Queen  of  Scots, 


PORTRAIT  OF  MARY,  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS. 

1.  The  courtiers  of  Elizabeth  would  fain  have  persuaded  her  thai 
3he  was  free  from  all  the  bad  qualities  and  above  all  the  weaknesses 
incident  to  human  nature ;  but  we,  who  are  safe  from  her  capricious 


6.  Who  was  her  chief  farorite  ?     What  of  Robert  Dudley  ?     6,  7.  What  suitors  had  she! 
What  declaration  did  she  make?     8,  9.  Did  she  modify  tiiis  at  all? 


MARY,   QUEEN   OF   SCOTS. — 1542-1587.  26V 

and  vindictive  temper,  may  venture  to  declare  that  she  possessed 
some  of  them  in  no  ordinary  degree. 

2.  Her  excessive  personal  vanity  led  her  to  encourage  painting, 
because  she  was  never  tired  of  seeing  portraits  of  herself.  A  pale 
Roman  nose,  a  head  of  hair  loaded  with  pearls,  and  powdered  with 
diamonds,  a  large  ruff,  and  a  still  larger  fardingale,  are  the  features 
by  which  we  may  recognize  Elizabeth. 

3.  This  was,  perhaps,  a  harmless  exhibition  of  vanity,  but  the 
weakness,  with  the  consequent  jealousy,  led  her  to  the  commission 
of  a  crime  which  has  left  an  indelible  stain  on  her  character.  This 
was  her  savage  treatment,  and  murder,  under  the  forms  of  law,  of 
the  beautiful  aud  unfortunate  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots. 

4.  This  princess,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  was  married  to  the  dauphin, 
afterwards  King  of  France,  by  the  title  of  Francis  II.  The  exquisite 
beauty  and  graceful  manners  of  Mary,  gained  for  her  unbounded 
influence  over  her  husband,  to  the  great  disappointment  of  her 
ambitious  and  wicked  mother-in-law,  Catharine  de  Medicis,  who 
aspired  to  rule. 

5.  For  seventeen  months  Mary  presided  over  the  most  brilliant 
and  polished  court  in  Europe,  and  entered  eagerly  into  all  its 
amusements.  At  the  end  of  that  period  the  death  of  her  husband 
put  an  end  to  her  happiness.  Although  she  was  now  subjected  to 
all  the  mortifications  that  the  malice  of  Catharine  could  invent,  she 
yet  lingered  in  France ;  her  attachment  to  that  country  and  her  early 
associations  making  her  reluctant  to  return  to  her  native  country. 

6.  At  length  the  impatience  and  clamors  of  her  subjects  compelled 
her  to  return.  When  she  was  in  the  ship  that  was  to  carry  her 
over,  she  fixed  her  eyes  on  the  coast  of  her  beloved  France  till  the 
darkness  of  evening  would  not  allow  her  to  see  it  any  longer.  She 
then  had  a  couch  brought  on  deck,  on  which  she  lay  down  to  sleep, 
giving  orders  that  if,  on  the  return  of  dayliglit,  the  French  coast 
should  be  still  in  sight,  she  should  be  awakened. 

7.  During  the  night  the  vessel  made  little  progress,  so  that  in  the 
morning  she  had  another  parting  view  of  the  country  which  she 
loved  so  well.  Her  regret  at  leaving  it  she  expressed  in  some 
pathetic  French  verses,  very  expressive  of  her  feelings  at  the  time. 
The  contrast  between  the  country  she  left,  and  that  which  she  now 
came  to  inherit,  increased  her  melancholy,  and  the  rude  and  savage 
manners  of  the  Scots  filled  her  with  disgust. 

8.  This  disgust  was  increased  by  difference  of  religion.  Mary  had 
been  brought  up  a  strict  Catholic ;  and  the  Reformation,  which  had 
now  made  great  progress  in  Scotland,  was  not  marked  there  with 
the  same  mild  spirit  which  had  distinguished  it  in  England.  The 
Scotch  reformers  were  men  of  rigid  zeal,  and  were  shocked  at  the 
gayety  and  amusement  so  becoming  and  natural  in  a  girl  of  nineteen. 

9.  Though  Elizabeth  was  as  much  superior  to  Mary  in  political  abil- 

CXLV. — 1,  2.  What  evidence  of  weakness  in  Elizabeth?  3.  What  cnme  did  her  yan^ 
ity  lead  her  to  commit?  4,  5.  What  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots'  life  in  France?  6.  Whj 
did  she  return  to  Scotland?  What  were  her  feelings  at  leaving  France?  7.  How  did 
she  express  them?  How  did  she  feel  after  her  arrival  in  Scotland?  8.  What  increa«ed 
her  disgust?     What  of  the  Reformation  in  Scotland?    9.  What  were  Eliaabeth's  fpel- 


268  MARY,   QUEEN   OF   SCOTS. — 1542-1587. 

ities  as  she  was  inferior  to  her  in  beauty  and  gracefulness  of  personj 
she  was  weak  enough  to  envy  and  hate  her  as  a  rival  by  whom  she 
was  eclipsed.  This  hatred  was  increased  by  the  fear  of  Mary's  pre- 
tensions to  the  crown  of  England,  which  were  founded  upon  Henry 
VIII.'s  declaration  of  her  own  incapacity  to  inherit  it. 

10.  Mary  had  never  attempted  to  enforce  these  pretensions ;  on 
the  contrary,  contenting  herself  with  her  undoubted  right  to  succeed 
upon  the  death  of  Elizabeth,  she  affected  to  treat  that  princess  with 
the  greatest  respect.  Both  queens,  indeed,  pretended  extraordinary 
regard  for  one  another,  and  styled  themselves,  in  their  letters,  "  lov- 
ing sister."  But  Elizabeth  was  all  the  while  secretly  exciting  the 
Scots  to  rebellion. 


CHAPTEE    CXLVI. 

Continuation  of  the  Story  of  Mary. 

1.  Mary,  having  been  urged  by  her  council  to  a  second  marriage, 
paid  Elizabeth  the  compliment  to  apply  to  her  to  choose  a  suitable 
match  for  her.  Elizabeth's  wish  was  that  her  "  loving  sister  "  should 
remain  a  widow.  Indeed,  it  was  one  of  the  weaknesses  of  this  great 
queen  to  have  the  utmost  dislike  of  any  person's  marrying ;  and  she 
plagued  and  persecuted  many  of  her  own  subjects,  for  no  other 
reason  than  because  they  did  not  choose  to  live  single  like  herself. 

2.  Having  proposed  two  or  three  matches  for  Mary,  which  she 
knew  she  would  not  accept,  she  pretended  to  be  exceedingly  dis- 
pleased with  her  when  she  at  last  chose  for  herself,  and  married  her 
cousin,  Henry  Stuart,  Lord  Darnley.  He  was  the  grandson  of  Mar- 
garet, sister  to  Henry  VIII.,  and  her  second  husband,  Lord  Angus. 

3.  Darnley  was  a  papist,  and  on  that  account  the  marriage  was 
opposed  by  the  reformers,  at  the  head  of  whom  was  John  Knox, 
who  gave  just  cause  of  offence  to  the  queen,  by  the  violence  with 
which  he  inveighed  against  it  at  a  personal  interview.  It  would 
have  been  fortunate  for  Mary,  had  she  listened  to  the  remonstrants. 
She  had  been  captivated  by  the  beauty  and  exterior  accomplish- 
ments of  Darnley,  and  quite  overlooked  the  qualities  of  his  mind. 

4.  These  by  no  means  corresponded  with  the  excellence  of  his 
outside  figure.  He  was  violent,  fickle,  insolent,  and  ungrateful, 
and  soon  came  to  treat  his  wife  with  great  indifference  and  neglect. 
This  conduct  deprived  him  of  that  influence  over  her,  which,  in  the 
early  period  of  their  marriage,  had  made  him  the  source  from 
whence  flowed  all  honors  and  preferments,  and  which  had  gained 
for  himself  the  title  of  king. 

inss  towards  Mary?    What  increased  Elizabeth's  hatred?    10.  How  did  they  publicly 
treat  each  other? 

CXLVI.— 1.  What  compliment  did  Mary  pay  to  Elizabeth?  What  were  Elizabeth'! 
wishes  about  Mary's  marrying?  What  her  feelings  about  marriage  in  general?  2. 
Whom  did  Mary  marry?    3.  Why  was  the  marriage  opposed?    4.  What  of  Darnley! 


MARY,    QUEEN    OF   SCOTS. 1542-156"  269 

6.  This  change  in  the  queen  he  imputed  to  the  infiuence  of  some 
of  those  about  her,  and  sought  for  an  object  on  whom  to  wreak  his 
vengeance.  There  was  in  the  court  an  Italian  musician,  named 
David  Rizzio,  who  had  lately  acquired  a  great  degree  of  confidence 
and  favor  with  thg  queen,  and  had  been  made  her  secretary. 
Those  who  were  themselves  envious  of  Rizzio's  fortune,  found  no 
difliculty  in  exciting  the  jealousy  of  Darnley. 

6.  One  evening,  When  the  queen  was  at  supper  with  the  secre- 
tary and  some  of  the  ladies  of  her  court,  Darnley,  with  a  company 
of  armed  nobles,  rushed  into  the  room,  and  one  of  them,  reaching 
over  the  queen's  shoulder,  stabbed  Rizzio,  as  he  clung  to  her  gar- 
ments for  protection. 

7.  Some  time  afterwards  the  king  was  taken  sick,  when,  to  the 
surprise  of  every  one,  the  queen  paid  him  a  visit,  and  took  him 
with  her  to  her  palace  of  Holyrood  House,  and  was  to  all  appear- 
ance reconciled  to  him.  The  position  of  this  palace  in  the  city  of 
Edinburgh,  and  upon  low  ground,  and  the  noise  of  the  court,  fur- 
nished reasons  for  removing  the  king  to  a  house  in  a  more  airy  and 
retired  situation.  The  queen  accompanied  him,  and  for  several 
days  attended  upon  him  with  every  appearance  of  regard. 

8.  The  marriage  of  one  of  her  women,  which  was  to  be  cele- 
brated in  her  presence,  obliged  the  queen  to  pass  the  night  of  the 
9th  of  February,  1567,  at  her  palace.  About  two  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  10th,  the  whole  town  was  aroused  by  a  great  noise 
at  the  king's  house,  which  was  blown  up  by  gunpowder.  The 
king's  lifeless  body  was  found  at  some  distance. 


CHAPTER  CXLVn. 

Continuation  of  the  Story  of  Mary. — She  seeks  a  Refuge  in  England 
from  her  rebellious  Subjects. 

1.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  king's  death  was  produced 
by  design ;  and  public  opinion  at  once  fixed  on  the  Earl  of  Both- 
well  as  his  murderer.  The  earl  was  a  man  of  considerable  abilities 
and  of  boundless  ambition,  which,  unrestrained  by  any  religious  or 
moral  principles,  would  not  scruple  at  the  commission  of  any  crime 
for  its  gratification. 

2.  He  was  one  of  the  handsomest  men  of  the  age,  and  the  cour- 
tesy of  his  manners  contrasted  favorably  with  the  rude  and  savage 
demeanor  of  the  majority  of  the  Scotch  nobles.  Being  in  the 
palace  at  the  time  of  Rizzio's  murder,  he  had  hastened  to  the 
assistance  of  the  queen,  and  this  service,  with  his  constant  deference 
and  assiduity,  gained  for  him  her  favor. 

5,  Upon  whom  did  Darn.'ey  take  vengeance?    7.  What  was  Mary's  subsequent  treatment 
of  Darnley?     8.  Relate  the  particulars  of  his  death. 
CXLVII.— 1,  Upon  whom  did  the  public  charge  the  murder  of  Darnley?    2.  What  of 

23* 


270  MARY   SEEKS   A   REFUGE   IN   ENGLAND. — 156S. 

3.  The  influence  which  he  soon  acquired  over  her,  led  him  to  be- 
lieve that  the  king  was  the  only  imi^ediment  to  his  arriving  at  the 
highest  office.  We  have  just  stated  the  mode  in  which  this  impedi- 
ment was  removed.  Both  well  was  tried  for  the  murder  of  the  king 
and  acquitted ;  for  no  one  dared  to  appear  as  \^tness  against  a  man 
of  his  influence,  and  who  came  to  the  place  of  trial  attended,  not  only 
by  his  own  retainers  and  vassals,  but  by  a  body  of  hired  soldiers. 

4.  Both  well's  next  step  was  even  more  bold ;  accompanied  by  a 
thousand  armed  men,  he  attacked  the  queen  as  she  journeyed  upon 
the  road,  and,  dispersing  her  escort,  carried  her  a  prisoner  to  Dun- 
bar. Although  this  was  done  apparently  by  violence,  there  were 
many  who  believed  that  the  queen  was  a  willing  prisoner ;  for,  so 
far  from  resenting  the  outrage,  she  not  long  after  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  the  offender.  The  reformers  had  uniformly  maintained 
that  the  murder  of  Darnley  had  been  committed  with  the  previous 
knowledge  and  consent  of  the  queen ;  her  marriage  with  his  mur- 
derer seemed  to  justify  and  confirm  this  opinion. 

5.  The  question  of  her  guilt  or  innocence  has  been  sharply  con- 
tested from  that  day  to  this.  We  have  not  space  to  detail  the 
arguments  on  both  sides.  The  facts  adduced  against  her  may, 
perhaps,  be  reconciled  with  her  innocence.  She  was  thoughtless 
and  imprudent,  and  her  education  at  the  court  of  France  was  not 
favorable  to  the  growth  of  religious  principles;  but  there  was 
nothing  in  her  disposition  which  can  make  us  suppose  her  capable 
of  so  monstrous  a  crime. 

6.  Although  a  large  portion  of  the  nobles  of  all  parties,  and  of 
both  religions,  had  in  writing  requested  the  queen  to  marry  Bothwell, 
yet  nearly  the  whole  country  now  rose  in  arms  against  her.  She  was 
taken  by  her  enemies  and  imprisoned  at  Lochleven  Castle,  where  she 
was  compelled  to  sign  a  resignation  of  her  kingdom  to  her  infant  son, 
who  was  accordingly  crowned  by  the  title  of  James  VI.  The  Earl  of 
Murray,  a  half-brother  of  Mary,  was  made  regent  of  the  kingdom. 

7.  Bothwell  meantime  had  fled  from  the  country ;  and  after  lead- 
ing a  wandering  and  wretched  life,  supporting  himself  by  piracy,  he 
was  at  last  thrown  into  prison  in  Denmark.  He  fell  into  a  state 
of  insanity,  and  lingered  ten  miserable  years  in  that  condition. 

8.  Through  the  romantic  attachment  of  George  Douglas,  brothei 
to  the  Lord  of  Lochleven,  Mary  made  her  escape,  and,  raising  an  army, 
encountered  Murray  at  Langside;  but  her  troops  were  completely 
defeated ;  and  she,  having  watched  the  battle  from  a  neighboring 
eminence,  fled  from  the  field,  and  never  paused  till  she  gained  the 
banks  of  a  little  river,  which  divides  England  from  Scotland. 

9.  Here  the  Bishop  of  St.  Andrews,  who  had  accompanied  her 
flight,  caught  hold  of  the  bridle  of  her  horse,  and  on  his  knees  be- 
sought her  to  turn  back ;  but  she,  preferring  to  trust  to  Elizabeth's 
generosity,  rather  than  again  encounter  the  insults  of  her  own  sub- 
jects, rushed  through  the  stream  to  the  other  side.     She  sent  forward 

Bothwell?  3.  To  what  did  Bothwell  aspire?  4.  What  step  did  he  take  to  accomplish 
his  object?  6.  What  was  the  consequence  of  the  queen's  marrying  him?  7.  What  be- 
came of  Bothwell?  8.  What  followed  Mary's  escape  from  imprisonment'  9.  Relate 
«hat  happened  to  her  after  the  defeat  of  her  tfoops. 


ELIZA ni'.ill    DETAINS    MARY    A    PllISONER. 156S.        271 

a  messenger  with  a  letter  informing  Elizabeth  of  the  step  she  had 
taken,  and  herself  proceeded  to  Carlisle  to  await  the  answer. 

10.  A  contemporarj^  letter- writer  tells  us,  "  There  are  six  wait- 
ing-gentlewomen with  her,  although  none  of  account  except  Mrs. 
Mary  Seaton,  who  is  praised  as  being  the  best  busker  (dresser)  of  a 
woman's  head,  that  is  to  be  seen  in  any  country.  Whereof  we 
have  seen  divers  experiences  since  her  coming  hither ;  and,  amongst 
other  pretty  devices,  yesterday  she  did  set  such  a  curled  hair  upon 
the  queen,  that  was  said  to  be  a  periwig,  and  that  showed  very 
delicately." 


CHAPTER  CXLVIII. 

Elizabeth  detains  Mary  as  a  Prisoner. — Plans  for  her  Rescue. — The 
Duke  of  Norfolk  is  detected  in  such  a  Project,  and  executed. 

1.  Whatever  Elizabeth's  thoughts  were  on  receiving  Mary's 
letter,  she  concealed  them  with  great  dissimulation,  and,  pretend- 
ing the  utmost  friendship  for  that  unhappy  queen,  declared  that 
before  she  could  be  received  at  the  English  court,  it  was  necessary 
for  Mary's  honor,  and  her  own  satisfaction,  that  she  should  be 
cleared  of  the  heavy  charges  made  against  her.  Lady  Scrope  was 
sent  under  pretence  of  attending  on  her,  but  in  reality  to  detain 
her  in  a  sort  of  imprisonment. 

2.  Mary  agreed  to  submit  the  matters  in  dispute  between  herself 
and  her  subjects  to  Elizabeth,  who  appointed  commissioners  to  hear 
the  parties.  Mary  appeared  by  representatives,  and  Murray  attended 
in  person.  After  a  tedious  succession  of  protestations  and  letters, 
in  which  both  parties  acted  with  great  duplicity,  and  seemed 
equally  afraid  of  arriving  at  the  truth,  the  conferences  ended  with- 
out any  definite  result. 

,  3.  Elizabeth  now  declared  that  as  Mary  was  by  no  means  cleared 
by  the  investigation,  she  was  herself  justified  not  only  in  refusing 
to  see  her,  but  even  in  detaining  her  a  prisoner;  and  she  now 
placed  her  in  the  custody  of  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury.  At  first 
Mary  was  allowed  to  receive  visitors,  and  her  eloquence  convinced 
every  one  who  conversed  with  her  of  her  innocence,  however  they 
might  have  been  prepossessed  with  an  opinion  of  her  guilt. 

4.  The  papists,  too,  all  took  her  part,  believing  that  Elizabeth's 
jealousy  towards  her  was  partly  on  account  of  her  religion.  Eliza- 
beth soon  had  reason  to  repent  of  her  crooked  policy  in  detaining 
Mary,  for  she  was  subjected  to  a  succession  of  alarms  of  insurrec- 
tion and  assassination.  She  took  advantage  of  one  of  the  earliest 
attempts  at  rebellion  to  subject  Mary  to  more  rigid  confinement 

CXLVIII.— 1.  What  reply  did  Elizabeth  make  to  Mary's  letter?  2.  What  did  Mary 
agree  to?    What  was  the  result?    3.  What  treatment  did  she  afterwards  receiye?    4. 


272  PLANS    FOR   mart's    RESCUE. 1671. 

and  to  forbid  her  having  any  intercourse  with  persons  not  of  Lord 
Shrewsbury's  family. 

5.  It  was  very  easy  to  forbid,  but  more  difficult  to  prevent,  for 
Mary  and  her  friends  were  ever  on  the  alert.  But  Elizabeth's 
ministers  were  likewise  vigilant ;  for  Lord  Burleigh,  in  one  of  his 
letters,  desires  Lord  Shrewsbury  "  to  be  on  the  watch  for  a  boy  who 
was  bringing  letters  from  Scotland  for  Mary,"  adding,  that  "he 
might  be  known  by  a  cut  on  his  left  cheek,  and  that  the  letters 
were  sewed  up  in  the  seams  and  buttons  of  his  coat." 

6.  Indeed,  Shrewsbury  was  hardly  less  a  prisoner  than  the  queen, 
being  never  permitted  to  leave  his  own  house,  nor  to  invite  any  of 
his  friends  to  come  to  see  him.  He  was  even  severely  reprimanded 
as  having  neglected  his  charge  by  taking  a  little  ride  one  day  for 
exercise ;  and  Elizabeth  was  constantly  tormenting  him  by  her  sus- 
picions of  his  being  too  indulgent. 

7.  The  immense  wealth  and  the  splendor  of  the  family  of  the 
Duke  of  Norfolk  rendered  him,  beyond  all  question,  the  second 
person  in  the  kingdom,  and  the  qualities  of  his  mind  well  cor- 
responded with  his  high  station.  He  enjoyed  the  good  opinion  of 
both  the  religious  parties,  and  was  equally  in  favor  with  the  queen 
and  the  people. 

8.  He  entered  heartily  into  the  cause  of  the  Queen  of  Scots,  and 
carried  on  a  correspondence  with  her,  though  so  secretly  that  even 
the  vigilant  Burleigh  did  not  for  some  time  discover  it.  At  last,  in 
1571,  Mary  wishing  to  send  some  money  to  her  friends  in  Scotland, 
Barrister,  a  confidential  servant  of  the  duke,  was  the  person  fixed 
on  to  take  it. 

9.  The  money,  and  a  letter  which  was  to  accompany  it,  were  sent 
to  Barrister  by  a  person  not  in  the  secret ;  and  he,  perceiving  that 
there  was  some  mystery,  took  the  letter  to  Lord  ^urleigh,  who  thus 
discovered  that  the  duke  was  conspiring  with  Mary  to  dethrone 
Elizabeth.  Norfolk  was  brought  to  trial,  and,  believing  that  some 
papers  had  been  destroyed  which  he  ordered  his  secretary  to  burn, 
denied  being  concerned  in  the  plot. 

10.  But  these  papers,  instead  of  being  destroyed,  had  been  hidden 
by  the  secretary  beneath  the  mats  in  the  duke's  chamber,  and  under 
the  tiles  of  the  house,  and  were  produced  at  his  trial  to  prove  his 
guilt.  He  was  condemned  to  death,  and  the  sentence  was  executed 
June  2d,  1572.  Elizabeth  declared,  with  what  sincerity  we  cannot 
say,  that  she  could  have  forgiven  him,  if,  instead  of  denying  his 
guilt,  he  had  made  a  free  confession. 

What  was  a  consequence  of  Elizabeth's  crooked  policy  ?  5.  What  severe  measures  did 
she  adopt  towards  Mary?  7.  What  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk?  8.  Of  his  correspondence 
with  Mary  ?     How  was  it  discovered  by  Burleigh?    10.  What  became  of  Norfolk? 


PLOT  TO   ASSASSINATE   ELIZABETH. — 1586.  273 


CHAPTER  CXLIX. 

A  new  Phi  in  favor  of  Mary  is  detected,  and  the  Conspirators  pun- 
ished.— Mary  is  put  to  Death  by  order  of  Elizabeth. 

1.  Mary  passed  sixteen  weary  year?  in  the  custody  of  the  Earl 
of  Shrewsbury,  at  the  end  of  which  time  Elizabeth,  thinking  him 
too  indulgent,  relieved  him  of  his  onerous  charge.  During  this  long 
period,  Mary  had  never  ceased  plotting  to  recover  her  liberty. 

2.  The  papists,  who  hoped  through  her  means  to  re-establish 
their  religion  in  England,  formed,  in  1586,  a  plot  to  assassinate 
Elizabeth,  and  to  place  Mary  on  the  throne.  The  arrangements 
were  made  known  to,  Mary  by  means  of  letters  conveyed  to  her 
through  a  chink  in  the  wall;  and  her  answers,  expressing  her 
approbation,  were  returned  in  the  same  way. 

3.  But  with  all  their  secrecy  the  plotters  could  not  escape  the 
vigilance  of  the  ministers.  Indeed,  the  man  w-ho  carried  the  letters 
was  a  spy  of  the  government,  and  constantly  brought  them  to 
Walsingham,  one  of  Elizabeth's  secretaries  of  state,  to  read.  They 
were  then  re-sealed,  and  taken  to  the  persons  they  were  meant  for, 
who  did  not  discover  the  treachery  of  their  messenger. 

4.  When  Walsingham  had  obtained  the  information  he  wanted, 
he  thought  it  time  to  secure  the  conspirators ;  fourteen  of  whom 
were  condemned  and  executed,  before  Mary  had  any  idea  that  the 
plot  was  discovered.  One  day,  as  she  was  taking  the  air  on  horse- 
back, she  was  met  by  a  messenger  from  Elizabeth,  who  informed 
her  of  the  death  of  her  friends,  and  that  she  must  set  off  instantly, 
without  returning  to  the  house,  or  making  any  preparations,  for 
Fotheringay  Castle,  in  Northamptonshire. 

5.  Commissioners  soon  made  their  appearance  to  try  her  for  the 
part  she  had  taken  in  the  late  conspiracy.  That  she  had  assented 
to  it,  was  clearly  proven,  and,  on  the  25th  of  October,  1586,  sen- 
tence of  death  was  pronounced  upon  her.  The  news  of  this  proce- 
dure excited  the  utmost  astonishment  in  other  countries. 

6.  The  young  King  of  Scotland  sent  an  urgent  remonstrance  to 
Elizabeth,  on  her  unjustifiable  conduct  towards  his  mother.  Whether 
he  was  sincere  in  this,  has  been  doubted ;  he  had  been  brought  up 
by  the  Scottish  reformers,  and  had  been  taught  from  his  infancy  to 
consider  her  a  very  wicked  woman.  It  is  certain  that  one  of  hia 
ambassadors  secretly  advised  Elizabeth  not  to  spare  Mary. 

7.  Elizabeth  affected  the  utmost  reluctance  to  execute  the  sen- 
tence, and  some  of  her  courtiers  thought  her  sighs  and  tears  were 
those  of  sincere  regret.  At  length,  after  some  months  of  duplicity 
and  apparent  indecision,  she  signed  the  death-warrant,  or  order  for 
Mary's  death.    But  when  she  found  it  had  been  despatched  to 

CXLIX. — 1.  How  long  did  Mary  remain  in  Shrewsbury's  charge?.  2.  By  whom  wa« 
a  new  plot  formed?  3.  How  detected?  4.  What  was  the  result?  5.  What  was  the 
consequence  to  Mary?  What  frffect  did  the  news  of  her  condemnation  produce?  6. 
What  did  Mary's  son  do?    7.  What  appparance  did  Elizabeth  assume?     What  artiflr« 


274  CONDEMNATION    AND    DEATH   OF    MARY. 1587. 

Fotheringay,  she  expressed  the  most  violent  displeasure  at  the 
hasty  officiousness  of  her  servants,  in  hopes,  by  such  an  artifice,  tc 
transfer  to  them  the  blame  of  Mary's  death. 

8.  On  the  6th  of  February,  1587,  the  warrant  was  brought  to 
Fotheringay  by  the  Earls  of  Shrewsbury  and  Kent,  who  informed 
Mary  that  she  must  prepare  for  death  the  next  morning.  She  re- 
ceived their  message  with  composure,  and  employed  herself  during 
the  rest  of  the  day  in  writing  letters,  in  dividing  the  few  valuables 
she  had  among  her  attendants,  and  taking  leave  of  them. 

9.  She  retired  to  rest  at  her  usual  time,  but  arose  after  a  fcAv 
hours'  sleep,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  night  in  prayer.  The  follow- 
ing Latin  petition  was  composed  by  her  at  this  time : 

0  Dornine  Deus,  speravi  in  te ! 

0  care  mi  Jesu,  nunc  libera  me ! 

In  dura  catena,  in  misera  poena  desidero  te ! 

Languendo,  gemendo,  et  genuflectendo, 

Adora,  implora,  ut  liberes  ine  ! 

10.  Towards  morning  she  attired  herself  in  the  only  rich  dress 
she  had  reserved — a  black  satin  gown,  trimmed  with  pearls  and 
jet,  over  a  crimson  velvet  petticoat.  A  white  lawn  veil  was  thrown 
over  her  head  ;  and  when  she  was  summoned  to  the  hall  where  she  was 
to  die,  she  took  a  crucifix  and  prayer-book  in  her  hand,  and  walked 
with  a  serene  and  composed  countenance.  She  was  met  on  the 
way  by  her  faithful  servant,  Andrew  Melvil,  who  flung  himself  on 
his  knees  before  her,  and  burst  into  an  agony  of  grief. 

11.  Mary  endeavored  to  console  him  with  the  utmost  firmness ; 
but,  on  charging  him  with  her  last  message  to  her  son,  she  melted 
into  tears.  She  then  entered  the  hall  in  which  the  scaffold  had 
been  raised,  and  saw,  with  an  undismayed  countenance,  the  two 
executioners  standing  there,  and  all  the  preparations  for  her  death. 

12.  After  some  time  spent  in  prayer,  she  began,  with  the  aid  of 
her  women,  to  unrobe  herself;  and,  seeing  them  ready  to  break 
forth  into  tears  and  lamentations,  she  made  to  them,  by  putting 
her  finger  to  her  lips,  a  sign  to  forbear.  She  then  gave  them  her 
blessing ;  a  handkerchief  was  bound  round  her  eyes,  and  without 
any  visible  trepidation  she  laid  her  head  upon  the  block,  and  with 
two  strokes  it  was  severed  from  her  body. 

13.  There  was  at  least  one  other  servant  who  remained  faithful 
to  his  mistress;  this  was  her  favorite  little  dog,  which  had  concealed 
itself  among  the  folds  of  her  dress,  and  could  with  difficulty  be  re- 
moved from  her  body.  Thus  perished  this  unfortunate  princess,  in 
the  forty-fifth  year  of  her  age.  She  had  been  a  queen  almost  from 
the  hour  of  her  birth.  From  the  age  of  six  to  that  of  nineteen  she 
had  been  trained  to  levity  and  dissipation  in  the  French  court. 

14.  From  her  nineteenth  to  her  twenty-seventh  year  she  had  lived 
in  Scotland,  in  a  succession  of  follies  and  sorrows,  and  in  the  midst  of 
enemies.     The  remaining  nineteen  years  of  her  life  she  had  passed  in 

did  she  use?  8.  How  was  Mary  affected  b}'  the  arrival  of  the  death-warrant?  10,  11, 
12.  Relate  the  particulars  of  her  death.     13.  TIow  old  was  she?     How  had  the  different 


IIIE    INVINCIBLE   ARMADA. — 1588. 


275 


a  miserable  captivity.  But  time  and  affliction  had  neither  subdued 
her  spirit,  nor  wholly  destroyed  that  extraordinary  beauty  which 
had  first  excited  the  hatred  of  her  more  cool  and  politic  rival. 

15.  When  the  news  of  the  execution  was  brought  to  Elizabeth, 
she  thought  it  necessary  to  assume  the  appearance  6f  excessive 
grief;  she  wore  mourning,  and  for  some  days  shut  herself  up  with 
only  her  women.  The  King  of  Scotland  expressed  great  resent- 
nent  at  the  murder  of  his  mother,  and  threatened  Elizabeth  with  a 
var,  but  she  found  means  to  ajjpease  the  indignation  of  a  sovereign 
Jii'ho  was  not  of  a  very  warlike  disposition. 


CHAPTER  CL. 


The  Invincible  Armada. — Elizabeth  displays  great  Vigor,  and  her  Sub- 
jects  great  Courage  and  Zeal. —  The  Spaniards  entirely  defeated. 


DEFEAT  OF  .THE  SPANISH  AR3IADA. 


1.  We  have  spent  so  much  time  in  detailing  the  painful,  yet  in 
teresting,  story  of  Queen  Mary,  that  we  must  pass  rapidly  over  the 
rest  of  Elizabeth's  reign.  The  Invincible  Armada  makes  a  consid- 
erable figure  in  history.  This  was  a  great  fleet  and  army  fitted  out 
by  Philip  II.,  of  Spain,  with  which  he  hoped  to  overwhelm  Great 
Britain. 

2.. Elizabeth  could  muster  but  a  small  naval  force  to  wiiJistand 
this  imposing  array ;  but  she  was  undismayed ;  for  she  relied  with 
confidence  on  the  superior  skill  and  bravery  of  her  seamen  and 


leriods  of  her  life  been  spent?    15.  How  did  Elizabeth  behave  after  the  death  of 
Mary  ? 
CL. — 1.  What  was  the  Invincible  Armada?    2.  Who  were  the  off5cex*s  of  the  English 


276  DISPERSION    OF    THE    ARMADA. 1588. 

ofl&c(3rs.  Her  fleet  was  commanded  by  Lord  Howard,  of  Effing- 
ham. Under  him  served  Drake,  Hawkins,  and  Frobisher,  all  of 
whom  were  much  distinguished  as  naval  commanders. 

3.  The  land  forces,  which  were  inferior  in  number  and  discipline 
to  those  of  Philip,  were  posted  wherever  it  was  thought  likely  the 
Spaniards  would  land.  The  vigor  and  prudence  exhibited  by  the 
queen  inspired  the  people  with  courage.  She  appeared  on  horse- 
back at  the  camp  at  Tilbury,  where  Lekiester  was  in  command, 
and  riding  through  the  ranks,  roused,  by  an  animated  speech,  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  soldiers. 

4.  Amongst  other  things  she  said  to  them,  "  I  know  I  have  the 
body  of  a  weak  and  feeble  woman,  but  I  have  the  heart  of  a  king, 
and  of  a  king  of  England  too ;  and  think  proud  scorn  that  Parma, 
or  Spain,  or  any  prinT^e  of  Europe,  should  dare  to  invade  the  bor- 
ders of  my  realms;  to  which,  rather  than  any  dishonor  shall  grow 
by  me,  I  will  myself  take  up  arms." 

5.  The  Armada,  as  it  approached  Lizard  Point,  was  descried  by 
a  Scotch  pirate,  who  was  cruising  in  those  seas,  and  he,  hoisting 
every  sail,  hastened  to  give  notice  of  the  enemy's  approach.  The 
information  was  well  timed,  for  Effingham  had  just  time  to  get  out 
of  port;  if  he  had  been  shut  up  there,  his  superior  naval  skill 
would  have  been  useless,  and  his  fleet  would  have  been  destroyed 
by  the  superior  force  of  the  enemy. 

6.  He  was  hardly  out  before  he  saw  the  Invincible  Armada  coming 
full  sail  towards  him  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  and  stretching  over  a 
distance  of  seven  miles.  He  soon  perceived  that  the  Spanish  ships 
were  ill  built  and  unmanageable,  and  his  chief  fear  was,  that  these 
huge  vessels  might  run  upon,  and,  by  their  weight,  sink  his  own. 

7.  But  their  great  size  proved  of  advantage  to  him,  for  whilst  the 
Spanish  shot  all  passed  over  the  heads  of  his  people,  his  own  had 
a  large  mark.  In  the  mean  time  vessels  poured  forth  from  every 
English  port,  and,  joining  Effingham,  hovered  upon  the  skirts  of 
the  enemy,  cutting  off"  such  ships  as  were  so  unlucky  as  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest. 

8.  Vessels  filled  with  combustibles  were  set  fire  to,  and  sent  into 
the  midst  of  the  Spanish  fleet,  which  dispersed  in  the  utmost  alarm. 
By  this  warfare  the  enemy' was  nearly  disabled,  while  the  English 
had  lost  only  one  small  vessel ;  and  the  Spanish  commander  deter- 
mined to  return  home. 

9.  The  wind  being  contrary,  he  was  obliged  to  sail  to  the  north 
t»)  make  the  circuit  of  Scotland ;  but  the  English  still  pursued,  and 
had  their  ammunition  held  out,  would  probably  have  taken  every 
vessel.  As  it  was,  ver}^  few  escaped,  for  the  tempests  lent  their  aid 
in  the  work  of  destruction.  Those  Spaniards  who  lived  to  return 
home,  gave  such  accounts  of  the  bravery  of  the  English,  and  the 
tremendous  dangers  of  their  coasts,  as  effectually  repressed  all  in- 
clination to  attempt  another  invasion. 

fleet?  3.  What  of  the  queon's  conduct?  4.  What  dii  she  say  to  the  troops?  5.  Who 
gave  information  of  the  Spaniards' approach?  Wliy  was  this  information  well  timed f 
6.  What  was  Effingham's  fear?  7.  Why  was  the  size  of  the  Spanish  ships  of  advantajcf 
to  the  English?     8,  9.  What  bocanie  of  the  Spanish  fleet? 


SIR    WALTER    RALEIGH. 


'in 


CHAPTER  CLI. 

Sir  Walter  Baltigh, —  Virginia  settled, — About  the  Earl  of  Essex 


SIR  WALTER  RALrEIGH   EMBARKING  FOR  VIRGINIA. 

1.  Amongst  those  who  fitted  out  ships  at  their  own  cost  to  op- 
pose the  Armada,  was  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  who  was  born  in  1552, 
and  after  passing  through  the  University  of  Oxford  with  great 
reputation,  volunteered  as  a  soldier  to  assist  the  Protestants  in 
France  and  the  Netherlands. 

2.  Here  he  made  good  use  of  his  time  in  acquiring  valuable 
knowledge,  so  that  upon  his  return  home,  in  1578,  he  was  con- 
sidered as  l)eing  in  all  respects  one  of  the  most  accomplished  gentle- 
men in  England.  His  active  mind  would  not  let  him  be  idle,  so 
he  engaged  heart  and  hand  in  an  expedition  which  his  half-brother, 
Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  a  distinguished  commander,  was  fitting  out 
to  make  discoveries  in  America. 

3.  The  expedition  was  very  unfortunate,  but  Raleigh  gained  a 
knowledge  of  seamanship  which  made  him  afterwards  one  of  the 
most  skilful  naval  commanders.  A  man  of  his  great  abilities  could 
not  fifil  to  gain  the  favor  of  the  queen,  but  he  recommended  him- 
self j)S'rticularly  by  a  little  act  of  gallantry. 

4.  As  Elizabeth  walked  abroad  one  day,  attended  by  some  of  the 

CLI. — 1,  2.  What  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh?  In  what  expedition  did  he  engage  with  his 
♦lalf-brother?.    ."..  With  what  resnlt?     By  what  act  did  he  gain  the  notice  of  the  queen  ? 

24 


278  THE    EARL    OF    ESSEX. 

courtiers,  she  chanced  to  arrive  at  a  very  muddy  place,  which  she 
could  not  cross  without  wetting  her  feet.  Raleigh,  without  hesita- 
tion, took  from  his  shoulder  a  new  and  very  rich  cloak,  and  spread 
it  on  the  ground ;  treading  gently  upon  this,  the  queen  passed  over 
clean  and  dry. 

5.  This  attention  fixed  Raleigh  in  her  good  graces,  and  a  wag  re- 
marked that  the  sacrifice  of  a  cloak  obtained  for  him  many  a  good 
suit.  The  great  favor  which  he  enjoyed  at  court  enabled  him  to 
procure  an  extensive  grant  of  lands  in  America,  and  in  1584  he  sent 
out  an  expedition  to  make  a  settlement  there. 

6.  The  first  attempt  was  made  on  the  coast  of  what  is  now  called 
North  Carolina,  in  commemoration  of  which  event  the  capital  of 
that  State  is  now  called  Raleigh.  The  ships  brought  back  no  gold 
or  silver,  which  was  the  chief  object  of  the  adventurers,  but  were 
so  well  freighted  ^vith  other  merchandise,  as  to  induce  Raleigh  to 
send  out  a  second  expedition  the  next  year.  A  tract  of  country 
rather  more  to  the  north  was  taken  possession  of,  and  named,  in 
honor  of  the  maiden  queen,  Virginia. 

7.  Leicester  was  alarmed  at  the  progress  which  Raleigh  made  in 
the  queen's  favor,  and  brought  forward,  as  a  competitor,  his  own 
son-in-law,  the  Earl  of  Essex.  This  young  nobleman  possessed  a 
noble  and  generous  nature,  and  his  lofty  and  impetuous  spirit, 
which  would  not  stoop  to  that  mean  subservience  in  which  all 
others  were  held  by  the  queen,  quite  won  her  heart. 

8.  She  permitted  him  to  speak  to  her  with  more  freedom  than 
she  would  allow  to  any  of  her  old  and  faithful  servants.  On  one 
occasion  he  became  so  heated  in  an  argument  with  her  as  entirely 
to  forget  the  rules  of  good  breeding,  and  turned  his  back  upon  her 
in  a  contemptuous  manner. 

9.  She  took  fire  at  this,  and  gave  him  a  sound  box  on  his  ear, 
telling  him  she  would  not  bear  his  impertinence.  Instead  of  apolo- 
gizing for  his  affront,  the  impatient  youth  laid  his  hand  on  his 
sword,  and,  declaring  he  would  not  bear  such  usage,  withdrew 
from  court. 

10.  His  friends  endeavored  to  persuade  him  that  a  blow  from  a 
woman  ought  not  to  be  resented ;  but  Essex  said  that  the  character 
of  woman  was  sunk  in  that  of  sovereign,  and  would  not  make  any 
advances  towards  reconciliation.  But  the  queen  herself  was  too 
fond  of  him  to  bear  his  absence  patiently ;  the  quarrel  seemed  to 
increase  her  affection,  and  he  was  recalled  and  enjoyed  more  than 
his  former  favor. 

5.  What  grant  did  he  obtain  ?  6.  What  colony  did  he  attempt  to  found  ?  Wliat  colony 
was  afterwards  established?  Whence  its  name?  7.  Who  was  brought  forward  as  the 
rival  of  Raleigh?  How  did  Essex  win  the  queen's  favor?  8.  IIow  did  he  treat  her? 
9, 10.  Relate  an  instance  of  his  impetuosity. 


'    DRESS   IN   THE   TIME   OF   ELIZABETH. — 1658-1603.        279 

CHAPTER    CLII. 

The  Fashions  of  Dress  in  the  Time  of  Elizabeth. 

1.  There  was  one  striking  difference  between  Sir  Walter  Ealeigh 
and  the  Earl  of  Essex.  The  former  was  minutely  particular  in  hi.-^ 
dress,  whilst  the  latter,  as  his  secretary.  Sir  Henry  Wotton,  tells  us, 
was  so  little  of  a  coxcomb  in  his  attire,  that  he  hardly  knew  what 
he  had  on.  His  dressing-room  was  filled  with  friends  and  suitors, 
to  whom  he  gave  his  attention,  while  his  servants  put  on  his 
clothes,  "with  little  care  of  his  own." 

2.  This  is  quite  remarkable,  for  dress  was  then  a  matter  of  great 
importance.  Even  old  Lord  Shrewsbury  directs  sotfie  one  in  London 
to  send  him  down  some  new  clothes  into  Yorkshire,  and  desires  the 
person  "to  talk  with  the  tailor,  and  devise  some  new  jerkin  of  thin 
pretty  silk,  or  else  one  of  perfumed  leather,  with  satin  sleeves,  as 
the  fashion  is." 

3.  The  queen  herself  set  the  example  of  wearing  costly  apparel. 
Her  conceit  of  her  beauty,  and  her  desire  to  make  an  impression  on 
the  hearts  of  beholders,  made  her  fond  of  wearing  a  great  variety 
of  rich  dresses.  As  she  never  gave  any  away,  there  were  found  in 
her  wardrobes,  at  her  death,  above  three  thousand  different  habits. 

4.  Of  one  of  these  dresses  a  foreigner  has  given  us  a  description. 
"  When  I  saw  Elizabeth,  she  was  in  her  sixty-seventh  year,  and  had 
in  her  ears  two  pearls  with  very  rich  drops.  She  wore  false  red  Jiair, 
and  her  bosom  was  uncovered.  She  was  dressed  in  white  silk,  bordered 
with  pearls  of  the  size  of  beans,  and  over  it  a  mantle  of  black  silk, 
shot  with  silver  threads,  and  instead  of  a  chain,  she  had  an  oblong 
collar  of  gold  and  jewels.  Wherever  she  turned  her  face,  a^  she 
went  along,  every  one  fell  down  on  his  knees." 

5.  He  does  not  mention  the  perfumed  gloves,  ornamented  with 
tufts  of  rose-colored  silk,  which  were  so  much  her  delight  that  she 
would  always  be  painted  with  a  favorite  pair — brought  to  her  frorn^ 
Italy,  by  the  Earl  of  Oxford.  Nor  does  he  speak  of  her  silk  stock- 
ings, which  were  then  a  great  novelty.  Mrs.  Montague,  her  silk 
woman,  having  presented  to  her  a  pair  of  black  silk  hose,  she  de- 
clared she  never  would  wear  cloth  ones  again. 

6.  But  why  not  wear  knit  ones  ?  Because  the  art  of  making  thera 
was  almost  unknown.  One  of  Henry  VIH.'s  wives  is  said  to  have 
had  a  pair  of  knitted  stockings,  but  all  other  people  wore  them  of 
cloth,  laced  or  buttoned  tight  to  the  leg.  Towards  the  end  of  Eliza- 
beth's time,  a  man  named  Lee  invented  a  machine  for  weaving  stock- 
ings, and  set  it  up  with  great  success  in  a  village  near  Nottingham ; 
but  the  stocking-knitters,  fearing  it  would  spoil  their  trade,  drove  him 
away.  He  retired  to  Paris,  where  he  died  of  disappointment.  His 
invention,  however,  did  not  die  with  him ;  and  it  is  a  remarkable  cir- 

CLII.— 1.  What  difference  in  habits  between  Raleigh  and  Essex?  2.  Why  remark- 
able in  ISssex?    3.  What  of  tli*^  queen's  fondness  for  dress?    4.  Give  a  deBcription  of  hei 


280  ^UEEN  Elizabeth's  progresses. 

cumstance  that  Nottingham  should  still  be  the  principal  place  in 
England  where  the  stocking  manufacture  is  carried  on. 

7.  There  were  some  curious  fashions  at  this  time.  Thefardingale,  an 
enormous  petticoat,  was  introduced  from  Spain,  Ruffs,  made  of  lawn 
and  cambric,  and  well  stiffened  with  yellow  starch,  reaching  to  the 
upper  part  of  the  head  behind,were  worn  both  by  ladies  and  gentlemen, 

8.  The  size  of  these  ruffs  appears  to  have  alarmed  her  majesty, 
for  we  are  told  that  certain  grave  persons  were  appointed  to  stand 
at  the  gates  of  the  city  of  London,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  dowL 
every  ruff  that  was  more  than  a  yard  in  depth.  These  ruffs  gave 
great  offence  to  a  religious  party  called  the  Puritans,  of  whom  we 
shall  hear  more  presently. 

9.  A  writer  of  this  sect,  in  a  book  called  "The  Anatomy  of 
Abuses,"  thinks  it  a  heinous  addition  to  the  sinfulness  of  the  ruff, 
that  it  was  so  "  doggecV^  and  ^^ pestered"  with  needlework.  He  tells 
us,  also,  that  the  lords  of  the  court  were  very  choice  about  their 
shirts,  which  were  often  made  of  cambric,  with  open-work  down  the 
seams,  and  sometimes  cost  fifty  dollars  each,  which,  he  adds,  "  is 
horrible  to  think  of." 


CHAPTER    CLIII. 

Queen  Elizabeth'' s  Progresses. — Anecdote  of  Sir  Thomas  Gresham. — 
About  Sir  Philip  Sidney. —  Change  in  the  Manners  of  the  People. — 
Shakspeare's  Plays. 

1.  Queen  Elizabeth  was  very  fond  of  travelling  about  the 
country,  or  making  progresses,  as  it  was  called,  and  visiting  her 
wealthy  subjects  at  their  own  houses.  Upon  such  occasions  great 
entertainments  were  given.  The  most  celebrated  was  that  at  Ken- 
ilworth  Castle,  provided  by  the  Earl  of  Leicester.  It  lasted  several 
days,  and  invention  was  exhausted  to  furnish  all  sorts  of  diversion. 
"  2.  There  were  stag-huntings,  and  bull-baitings,  and  pageants  of 
every  kind ;  indeed,  so  numerous  and  magnificent  were  the  shows, 
that  the  account  of  them  fills  quite  a  large  volume.  The  queen  did 
not  confine  her  visits  to  the  nobility.  Sir  Thomas  Gresham,  a  rich 
London  merchant,  who  erected,  at  his  own  cost,  a  building  for  an 
Exchange  J  had  the  honor  of  entertaining  her  at  his  magnificent 
house  called  Osterley. 

3.  Elizabeth,  after  viewing  the  whole  mansion,  remarked  as  she 
was  going  to  bed,  "that  it  would  have  been  much  more  handsome 
if  the  court-yard  had  been  divided  by  a  wall."  Sir  Thomas  heard 
the  remark,  and  instantly  set  to  work  such  a  number  of  masons  and 
laborers,  that  when  the  queen  arose  in  the  morning,  she  found  that 
a  wall  had  risen,  as  if  by  magic,  in  answer  to  her  wish. 

dress.    6,6.  What  of  the  use  of  gloves  and  stockings?    What  of  the  manufacture  of 
stockings?     7.  What  droll  fashions  of  dress?     8,  9.  What  of  the  ruff? 
CLTTI. — 1.  What  is  said  of  Elizabeth's  progresses?     2.  What  of  Leicester's  entertain 


CHANGE    IN    TPIE   MANNERS   OF   THE    PEOPLE.  28 J 


ELIZABETH  IN  PROCESSION. 

4.  Before  we  return  to  our  general  story,  we  must  say  something 
of  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  who  was  one  of  the  great  men  of  this  reign, 
so  prolific  in  genius  and  talent.  He  was  a  perfect  model  of  what  a 
true  knight  should  be, — courteous,  brave,  eloquent,  accomplished, 
and  learned.  His  fame  and  great  merits  were  so  well  known 
throughout  Europe,  that  the  Poles  thought  of  electing  him  their 
king,  but  Elizabeth  would  not  consent. 

5.  He  received  a  mortal  wound  in  an  engagement  near  Zutphen, 
in  Holland,  Sept.  22d,  1586.  As  he  was  stretched  on  the  ground,  his 
attendants  brought  him  some  water  to  quench  his  raging  thirst.  Just 
as  he  was  raising  it  to  his  lips,  he  saw  a  poor  wounded  soldier,  who 
was  lying  near  him,  looking  wistfully  at  the  cup.  "  Take  this  water 
to  him,"  said  Sir  Philip ;  "  his  necessity  is  greater  than  mine." 

6.  Sir  Philip  was  the  author  of  a  sort  of  pastoral  romance,  called 
the  "  Arcadia,"  which  was  thought  very  delightful  at  the  time  it 
was  published,  though  to  us  it  appears  somewhat  dull.  Indeed,  in 
the  time  of  Elizabeth,  a  conceited,  hyperbolical  style  of  writing  and 
speaking  was  necessary  to  every  one  who  wished  to  be  thought  a 
fine  gentleman.  » 

7.  A  change  had  taken  place,  in  every  respect,  since  the  days  of 
Henry  VIII.,  who  himself  set  the  example  of  running,  jumping, 
and  wrestling,  with  all  kinds  of  boisterous  sports.  Elizabeth's 
courtiers,  out  of  compliment,  we  suppose,  to  their  female  sovereign, 
affected  a  measured  behavior,  and  quieter  recreations. 

8.  Lord  Mountjoy,  who  is  described  as  being  a  pattern  of  what  a 
nobleman  should  be,  "  delighted  in  study,  in  gardens,  in  riding  on 
a  pad  to  take  the  air,  in  playing  at  shovel-board,  in  fishing  in  a 


ment?     2, 3.  What    of   Sir    Thomas.    Gresham?      4,  5.  What    of   Sir   Philip    Sidney? 
6.  What    of   his    Arcadia?      What    was    thought    necessary    for    a    fine    gentleman  I 

24* 


282  LORD    liURLEIGH. 1598. 

fish-pond,  or  in  reading  play-books."  He  showed  a  good  taste  in 
this  hist  occupation,  if  he  Avere  occupied  with  Shakspeare's  plays; 
and  we  may  suppose  he  was,  for  they  were  written  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth,  and  were  the  delight  of  the  court,  the  town,  and  the 
country. 

9.  These  plays  were  all  acted  by  men  and  boys,  it  being  consid- 
ered a  great  indecorum  for  women  to  appear  on  the  stage.  The 
play-houses  were  little  better  than  barns;  and  we  are  told  that, 
instead  of  painted  scenes  to  represent  the  places  where  the  action 
was  supposed  to  pass,  there  used  to  be  only  a  board  hung  up  over 
the  stage,  with  an  inscription  on  it  to  tell  the  spectators  where  they 
were  to  imagine  the  scene  to  be ! 


CHAPTER  CLIV. 

Death  of  Lord  Burleigh. — Lord  Essex  appointed  to  the  Government  of 
Ireland. — Is  reproved  by  Elizabeth. — His  Interview  ivith  the  Queen. 
— Last  Cause  of  Offence. 

1.  Elizabeth  had  one  faithful  servant,  who,  without  courting 
her,  or  making  any  improper  concessions  to  her,  maintained  his 
place  in  her  confidence  from  her  accession  to  his  own  death.  This 
was  Cecil,  Lord  Burleigh.  For  forty  years  he  was  prime  minister 
of  England,  and  the  most  sagacious  one  that  country  ever  had. 

2.  This  wise  and  cautious  minister  had  always  endeavored  to 
check  the  queen's  fondness  for  the  headstrong  Essex,  who,  from  a 
love  of  military  glory,  would  have  kept  the  country  continually  in 
a  state  of  war. '  Burleigh  died  in  1598,  and  Essex  remained  without 
a  competitor  in  her  regard. 

3.  In  1599,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Governor  of  Ireland, 
under  the  title  of  lord  lieutenant,  for  the  express  purpose  of  putting 
an  end  to  an  insurrection  Avhich  had  broken  out  there,  headed  by  a 
powerful  chief,  the  Earl  of  Tyrone.  Nothing  doubting  of  his  own 
abilities,  Essex  hastened  to  his  task;  but  he  found  greater  difficulties 
than  he  expected. 

4.  After  some  months  of  harassing  warfare,  in  defiance  of  the 
queen's  commands,  he  entered  into  a  treaty  with  Tyrone.  Eliza- 
beth sent  a  sharp  reproof  for  this  and  other  disobedience,  at  the 
same  time  commanding  him  to  remain  in  Ireland  till  further  orders. 
Essex,  however,  instantly  set  off  for  England,  and  arrived  at  court 
before  it  could  be  known  that  he  had  left  Ireland. 

5.  Splashed  with  dirt,  he  rushed  into  the  presence-<  hamber,  al- 
.nough  he  knew  the  queen  was  exceedingly  punctilious  about  the  neat 

7.  What  change    in  manners?    8.  What  author  was  a  favorite?    9.  What    of  acting 
plavs? 

CLIV.— 1.  What  faithful  serrant  had  Elizabeth?  What  of  Lord  Burleigh?  3.. What 
uppointnient  did  Essex  receive?     How  did  he  discharge  its  duties?    4,5.  H'^w  did  b» 


MORE   ABOUT   THE    EARL   OF    ESSEX. 1599.  283 

and  seemly  apparel  of  those  who  approached  her.  Not  finding  her 
there,  he  hurried  forward  to  her  bed-chamber,  where  she  was  barely- 
risen,  and  sitting  with  her  hair  about  her  face. 

6.  Essex  fell  on  his  knees  before  her,  and  Elizabeth  was  so  taken 
by  surprise  at  this  sudden  appearance  of  her  favorite,  that  she  re- 
ceived him  most  graciously.  But  when  he  was  gone,  and  she  had 
time  to  reflect  on  his  conduct,  she  considered  this  last  presumption 
as  an  aggravation  of  his  former  faults ;  upon  his  next  appearance, 
a  few  hours  after,  his  reception  was  quite  different,  and  he  was 
placed  in  the  custody  of  Lord  Egerton. 

7.  Essex,  from  the  agitation  of  his  mind,  fell  seriously  ill.  The 
tenderness  of  the  queen  returned  when  she  heard  of  his  danger. 
She  ordered  eight  physicians  to  consult  on  his  case,  and  sent  one 
of  them  to  him  with  some  broth,  saying,  while  the  tears  ran  down 
her  cheeks,  that  if  she  could,  consistently  with  her  honor,  she  would 
visit  him.  Essex  upon  this  recovered,  and  was  permitted  to  remain 
in  retirement  in  his  own  house. 

8.  Elizabeth,  after  a  severe  struggle  between  her  affection  for  her 
favorite  and  her  sense  of  justice,  at  length  consented  that  Essex 
should  be  called  to  account  for  his  mismanagement  of  affairs  in  Ire- 
land. He  did  not  attempt  to  excuse  himself,  but  made  a  humble 
submission  to  the  queen,  who  received  his  contrite  messages  with 
great  complacency. 

9.  He  then  ventured  to  apply  for  a  renewal  of  a  grant  she  had 
formerly  made  him,  but  she  refused,  saying  that  "an  ungovernable 
beast  must  be  stinted  in  his  provender."  These  contemptuous  ex- 
pressions were  too  much  for  the  proud  heart  of  Essex.  His  temper, 
hitherto  restrained  with  difficulty,  now  broke  loose.  He  declared, 
in  his  rage,  that  "  the  queen,  now  that  she  was  an  old  woman,  was 
as  crooked  in  her  mind  as  in  her  person." 

10.  This  was  reported  to  Elizabeth.  It  was  bad  enough  to  call 
her,  who  was  so  vain  of  her  person,  crooked ;  but  to  call  her  old  was 
even  worse ;  so  great  a  dread  had  she  of  being  thought  aged,  that 
she  contrived,  wlien  she  was  nearly  seventy,  to  be  surprised  by  the 
French  ambassador  in  the  act  of  dancing  a  galliard,  a  sort  of  figure 
dance,  to  the  music  of  a  little  fiddle,  upon  which,  we  believe,  she 
herself  played. 


CHAPTEK  CLV. 

Execution  of  the  Earl  of  Essex. — Death  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 

5^1.  The  breach  between  Elizabeth  and  her  favorite  now  seemed 
to  be  irreparable.  Essex,  completely  maddened  by  passion,  sought 
to  overturn  the  government.     But  his  open  nature  made  him  a  bad 


observe  the  queen's  orders?    6.  How  did  the  queen  receive  him?    7.  How  did 

bear  his  disgrace?     8.  Were  they  reconciled?    9.  What  new  cause  of  offence  did  he  give? 

10.  What  instance  of  the  queen's  vanity? 


284  DEATH    OF    EilZABETH. — 1603. 

plotter.  His  designs  were  all  known  to  the  ministers,  and  lie  wa& 
seized  and  committed  to  the  Tower.  His  trial  soon  followed,  and 
his  guilt  was  too  clear  to  give  the  queen  the  least  pretext  for  grant- 
ing him  a  pardon. 

2.  Her  former  tenderness  and  her  late  resentment  reduced  Eliza- 
beth to  the  most  pitiable  state  of  mind.  She  signed  the  warrant  for 
the  execution;  she  countermanded  it;  she  again  resolved  on  his 
death ;  she  felt  a  new  return  of  tenderness. 

3.  It  appears  that,  aware  of  his  impetuous  temper,  she  had  for- 
merly given  him  a  ring,  telling  him  that  whatever  disgrace  he 
should  fall  into,  she  would  promise  him,  on  receiving  that  ring,  to 
grant  him  a  favorable  hearing.  This  pledge  she  had  fully  expected 
to  receive  at  this  juncture  of  his  fate,  and  she  attributed  his  not 
sending  it  to  sturdiness  and  obstinacy. 

4.  When  she  had  given  him,  as  she  thought,  ample  time  for  re- 
pentance, and  there  came  not  the  important  ring,  she  no  longer 
delayed  his  execution,  which  took  place  February  25th,  1601,  in 
the  thirty-fourth  year  of  his  age.  For  a  time  her  feelings  of  resent- 
ment supported  her  under  the  loss  of  her  favorite. 

5.  But  this  consolation,  such  as  it  was,  was  taken  from  her  when, 
two  years  after  the  death  of  Essex,  the  Countess  of  Nottingham, 
being  on  her  death-bed,  besought  the  queen  to  come  to  her,  as  she 
had  something  to  reveal.  She  then  confessed  that  Essex  had  in- 
trusted her  with  the  ring  to  restore  it  to  her  majesty,  but  that  she 
had  been  prevailed  on  by  her  husband  to  withhold  it. 

6.  Elizabeth,  in  an  agony  of  grief  at  this  disclosure,  shook  the 
dying  countess  in  her  bed,  saying,  "God  may  forgive  you;  I  never 
can."  She  then  broke  from  her,  and  when  she  had  regained  her 
own  apartments,  threw  herself  on  the  floor,  and  gave  herself  up  to 
the  most  incurable  melancholy. 

7.  For  ten  days  and  nights  she  lay  on  the  floor,  supported  by 
cushions.  She  refused  to  go  to  bed,  or  to  take  anything  that  her 
physicians  prescribed.  Her  end  visibly  approaching,  her  attendants 
requested  her  to  appoint  her  successor,  and  she  named  the  King  of 
Scotland.  When  she  became  too  weak  to  make  resistance,  she  was 
laid  in  her  bed,  where  she  died,  March  24th,  1603,  in  the  seventieth 
year  of  her  age,  and  the  forty-fifth  of  her  reign. 

8.  Such  was  the  melancholy  end  of  the  most  brilliant  reign  in 
English  history.  Notwithstanding  her  haughty  temper,  and  her 
arbitrary  government,  Elizabeth  was  a  favorite  with  the  people, 
who  long  afterwards  referred  with  pride  and  pleasure  to  the  "  golden 
days  of  good  Queen  Bess." 

9.  Being  looked  upon  as  the  head  of  the  Protestant  interest  in 
Europe,  she  exercised  a  great  influence  upon  its  affairs.  Her  fame 
even  reached  the  ears  of  the  Grand  Seignior  at  Constantinople,  who 
till  then  had  supposed  England  to  be  a  dependent  province  of  France. 

CLV.— 1,  What  did  Essex  now  attempt?  2.  What  eflfeot  had  his  conduct  on  the 
queen?  3.  What  reason  had  she  to  suppose  Essex  obstinate?  4.  When  did  he  die? 
5,  6.  How  had  the  queen  been  deceived?  What  were  her  feelings  at  the  discovery?  7. 
Relate  the  particulars  of  her  death.  Her  age?  Iler  length  of  reign?  8,  What  were  the 
feelings  of  the  people  towards  her  ?    9,  What  of  the  Grand  Seignior? 


CHARACTER    AND    ANECDOTES    OF    ELIZABETH.  285 

He  sought  to  atone  for  the  insulting  idea  by  the  high  comphmentis 
he  paid  the  queen,  whom  he  styleS  "  a  fountain  of  honor,"  and  a 
'*  comfortable  cloud  of  rain.' ' 


CHAPTER  CLVI. 

Character  and  Anecdotes  of  Elizabeth. — Spenser,  the  Poet  Laureate. 

]..  Next  to  her  personal  beauty,  her  learning  was  the  object  of 
Elizabeth's  vanity.  For  this  there  was  somewhat  more  of  reason. 
To  an  address  in  Greek  by  the  University  of  Cambridge,  she  re- 
plied without  any  preparation,  in  the  same  language.  Once,  when 
the  Polish  ambassador  had  said  something  to  displease  her,  she 
made  a  spirited  reply  in  very  good  Latin;  then,  turning  to  her 
attendants,  she  said,  "I  have  been  forced,  my  lords,  to  scour  up  my 
Latin,  which  has  been  long  rusting." 

2.  She  also  aspired  to  the  reputation  of  a  wit,  and  one  of  her  own 
jokes,  though  a  very  poor  one,  saved  a  Dr.  Man  from  a  severe  re- 
buke. Philip  of  Spain  had  sent  an  ambassador,  of  the  name  of 
Gusman,  to  Elizabeth,  and  she  in  return  sent  Dr.  Man,  who  con- 
ducted the  affair  with  which  he  was  intrusted  so  badly,  that  the 
queen  thought  of  punishing  him. 

3.  But  happening  to  say  to  one  of  her  courtiers  that  Philip  had 
sent  a  (roose-man  [i.  e.,  a  Gusman)  to  her,  but  that  she  had  sent  a 
Man-goo^Q  to  him,  this  conceit  diverted  her  so  much,  that  she  let 
the  matter  pass,  and  Dr.  Man  escaped  without  any  more  serious 
censure. 

4.  Elizabeth  was  fond  of  music,  and  played  "  indifferently  well " 
on  the  lute,  and  on  the  virginals,  an  ill-shaped,  clumsy  instrument, 
with  strings  and  keys.  She  seems  to  have  thought  there  was  some- 
thing royal  and  stately  in  loud  noises ;  for,  when  she  dined,  she 
would  have  twelve  trumpets  and  two  kettle-drums,  besides  other 
instruments,  all  thundering  at  once  in  her  ears. 

5.  Upon  a  certain  occasion  she  went  in  great  state  to  hear  a  ser- 
mon preached.  Besides  a  numerous  train  of  lords  and  ladies,  she 
had  a  thousand  soldiers,  and  ten  great  cannons  dragged  after  her, 
with  an  abundance  of  drums  and  trumpets ;  and,  besides  all  these, 
there  was  a  party  of  morris-dancers,  and  two  white  bears  in  a  cart. 

6.  It  was  the  custom  in  her  day,  as  it  is  now,  for  the  sovereign  to 
keep  a  maker  of  verses,  by  the  title  of  poet  laureate,  whose  duty  it  is 
to  compose  odes  for  the  royal  birth-days,  and  other  like  occasions.. 
Elizabeth  was  fortunate  enough  to  have  a  real  poet  upon  whom  to 
bestow  the  office.  Such  was  Edmund  Spenser,  whose  poems  of  the 
Fairy  Queen  and  the  Shepherd's  Kalendar  are  among  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  language. 

7.  For  some  time  he  only  wore  the  barren  laurel,  and  held  the 
place  without  the  salary.  The  queen  was  so  well  pleased  with  one 
of  his  stanzas,  that  she  ordered  him  a  hundred  pounds  for  it. 

CLVI.— 1.  What  of  Elizabeth's    learning?    4.  What  of  her   fondness    for  musioT 


286 


JAMES    1. 1603. 


"What,"  said  the  economical  Burleigh,  "all  this  for  a  song!*' 
"Give  him,  then,  what  is  reason,"  said  the  queen,  who  already 
repented  of  her  generosity. 

8.  Spenser,  to  whom  the  conversation  had  been  told,  waited  foi 
some  time  with  patience,  but  at  length  presented  his  petition : 

"I  was  promised  on  a  time  to  have  reason  for  my  rhyme, 
From  that  time  unto  this  season,  I've  received  nor  rhyme  nor  reason" 

The  queen  forthwith  ordered  the  hundred  pounds  to  be  paid. 

TABLlTOF   THE   LINE   OF  TUDOR. 
Began  to  reign.  Reigned. 

1485     .     .     24     .  .  Henry  VII. 

1509     .     .     38     .  .  Henry  VIIL,  son  of  Henry  VII. 

1547     .     .       6     .  .  Edward  VI.,  son  of  Henry  VIII. 

155.3     .     .       5     .  .  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  VIII. 

1558     .     .     45     .  .  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Henry  VIII. 


CHAPTER  CLVII. 

James  I. —  Change  in  the  Planners  of  the  Court. — Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
introduces  the  Use  of  Tobacco,  and  the  Cultivation  of  Potatoes. 


JAMES  I.   EXAMINING  AND  TASTING  TOBACCO. 

.V? 

1.  The  crown  of  England  was  never  transmitted  more  quietly 
from  father  to  son,  than  when  it  passed  from  the  family  of  Tudor  to 


6.  What  is  the  poet  laureate?    Who  served  Elizabeth  in  that  capacity?     7,8.  Whni 
anecdote  of  Burleigh's  economy  ? 


SIR   WALTER    RALEIGH.  287 

that  of  Stuart.  James  I.  of  England,  and  VI.  of  Scotland,  was 
thirty-seven  years  old,  when  the  death  of  Elizabeth  made  him  the 
sovereign  of  the  whole  island  of  Great  Britain.  His  character  was 
an  odd  mixture  of  sense  and  folly,  which  it  is  very  difficult  to  describe. 

2.  He  had  a  natural  shrewdness  and  sagacity,  with  a  great  share 
of  vanity  and  conceit,  and  he  made  even  his  learning,  which  was 
considerable,  appear  ridiculous  by  his  pedantry  and  pomi|.-<jsity. 
With  all  this  he  had  a  great  deal  of  childish  simplicity,  and  there 
was  an  openness  of  temper  about  him,  which,  though  a  virtue,  made 
him  unfit  to  control  the  jealousies  which  arose  between  his  English 
and  Scotch  subjects. 

3.  His  person  was  awkward,  and  his  manners  uncouth  and  with- 
out dignity ;  and  these  defects,  together  with  his  broad  Scotch  accent, 
soon  made  him  an  object  of  contempt  to  those  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  the  stately  majesty  of  Elizabeth.  A  graceful  and  dignified 
wife  might  have  made  up  for  the  king's  deficiencies.  But  Anne, 
daughter  of  the  King  of  Denmark,  whom  he  married,  is  described 
as  very  homely  and  unprepossessing. 

4.  From  these  causes,  the  manners  of  the  court  became  so  rude 
and  unpolished  as  to  disgust  the  old  courtiers  of  Elizabeth.  Indeed, 
James  hated  pomp  and  parade,  and  used  to  discourage  all  who  had 
no  particular  business  at  the  court  from  coming  .to  it.  He  used  to 
say  to  the  country  gentlemen,  "  At  London  you  are  like  ships  in  a 
sea ;  you  look  like  nothing ;  but  in  your  country  villages  you  are  like 
ships  in  rivers,  which  look  like  great  things." 

5.  James  was  fond  of  study;  he  read  much,  but  it  was  chiefly  on 
religious  subjects,  upon  which  he  was  a  warm  controversialist. 
Argument  was  his  delight  and  his  glory.  He  loved  to  exhibit  his 
wisdom  and  learning  in  long  harangues.  But  though  he  could  talk, 
he  could  not  act ;  he  wanted  both  decision  and  exertion ;  and  the 
parliament,  soon  finding  out  his  weakness,  listened  to  his  speeches, 
but  paid  no  other  attention  to  them ;  and  contrived  by  degrees  to 
strengthen  its  own  power  at  the  expense  of  the  crown's ;  so  that 
while  he  was  perpetually  talking  of  his  royal  prerogative,  he  grad- 
ually lost  much  of  it. 

6.  James  was  also  ambitious  of  the  reputation  of  an  author.  One 
of  his  books  was  on  the  duty  of  a  king,  and  another  was  called  "  A 
Counterblast  to  Tobacco,"  to  the  use  of  which  he  was  much  opposed ; 
and  he  was  accustomed  to  say  he  had  no  notion  of  men's  making 
chimneys  of  their  mouths.  This  herb  was  first  brought  to  England 
in  1598,  upon  the  return  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  unfortunate  settlers 
from  Virginia,  where  they  did  not  succeed  in  establishing  a  perma- 
jient  home.  Sir  Walter  himself  was  one  of  its  first  admirers,  but  for 
some  time  preserved  great  secrecy  in  h*s  attachment,  till  the  foible 
was  discovered  by  a  ridiculous  accident. 

0'  -7.  He  was  one  day  enjoying  his  pipe  in  solitude,  forgetful  that  he 
had  ordered  his  servant  to  attend  him  with  a  goblet  of  ale.  The 
faithful  domestic  suddenly  entering  the  study,  and  finding,  as  he 

CLVII.— 1.  Who  succeeded  Elizabeth?  What  pf  James'  character?  3.  What  of  his 
person?    What  of  his  wife?    4.  What  of  the  manners  of  the  court?    5.  Of  what  was 


288  I.ADY    ARABELLA    STUART. 

thought,  his  master's  brains  ou  fire,  and  evaporating  in  smoke  and 
flame  through  his  nostrils,  did  his  utmost  to  extinguish  the  confla- 
gration, by  emptying  the  goblet  on  his  head ;  then  rushing  out  of 
the  room,  he  alarmed  the  family  with  an  account  of  the  frightful 
scene  he  had  witnessed. 

8.  But  Raleigh  conferred  a  less  questionable  benefit  on  his  country. 
It  was  the  fashion  in  those  days  to  make,  what  we  should  call  pirat- 
ical, expeditions  against  the  West  India  islands,  and  the  continent 
of  America  in  that  vicinity,  all  of  which  was  then  in  the  possession 
of  the  Spaniards.  Captain  Hawkins,  on  his'-return,  in  1565,  from 
such  an  expedition,  presented  to  Sir  Walter  some  roots  which  he 
said  furnished  an  article  of  food  for  the  inhabitants  of  New  Spain, 
or  Mexico. 

9.  Sir  Walter  planted  them  upon  some  land  the  queen  had  given 
him  in  Ireland.  When  the  plant  came  to  maturity,  the  fruit  was 
gathered,  but  was  found  to  be  so  nauseous,  that  he  had  nearly  con- 
signed the  whole  crop  to  destruction.  Fortunately  the  merits  of  the 
real  potato  were  discovered.  No  one  then  imagined  that  the  plant 
which  Sir  Walter  cultivated  as  a  dainty,  would  be  the  means  of 
saving  the  Irish  nation  from  famine. 


CHAPTER   CLVIII. 

Conspiracy  to  place  Lady  Arabella  Stuart  on  the  Throne. — Conclusion 
of  the  Story  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 

1.  The  tranquillity  of  James'  reign  was  soon  interrupted  by  a 
conspiracy  to  place  Lady  Arabella  Stuart  upon  the  throne.  By 
referring  to  the  table  of  the  family  of  Henry  VII.,  you  will  see  that 
she  was  related  to  that  monarch  in  the  same  degree  with  James  ; 
being  a  daughter  of  a  brother  of  Lord  Darnley,  the  king's  father. 
The  plot  was  soon  discovered,  and  the  conspirators  punished. 

2.  Lady  Arabella  was  neither  qualified  nor  desirous  to  be  a  queen, 
and  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  conspiracy.  Although  brought  up 
in  great  privacy,  yet  being  nearest  to  the  throne  after  James,  she 
had  been  an  object  of  jealousy  both  to  him  and  to  Elizabeth. 
James,  however,  treated  her  with  great  kindness,  so  long  as  she  re- 
mained unmarried.  At  last  she  was  united  to  a  Mr.  Seymour. 
For  this  offence  both  she  and  her  husband  were  imprisoned. 

3.  Though  confined  in  different  prisons,  they  both  contrived  to 
make  their  escape  at  the  same  time,  and  hoped  to  join  eacli  other 
abroad.  Mr.  Seymour  was  so  fortunate  as  to  get  safely  to  Flanders, 
but  poor  Lady  Arabella  was  retaken  on  the  road  to  Calais,  and  brought 
back.     This  disappointment  deprived  her  of  her  reason.     She  never 

the  king  fond  ?    What  of  the  parliament  ?    6.  What  of  the  use  of  tobacco  ?    What  anecdote 
of  Raleigh's  use  of  it?    8,  9.  What  of  potatoes? 
CLVin.— 1.  What  first  disturbe*  Ihe  tranquillity  of  James'  reign?    2.  What  of  Lady 


DEATH    OF   SIR    WALTER    RALEIGH. 161S.  289 

recovered  it  again,  and  died  in  a  few  years.  '  Some  of  her  letters  are 
preserved,  and  show  her  to  have  been  an  amiable  woman,  of  a 
cheerful  temper,  and  without  any  ambition  to  be  a  queen. 

4.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was  accused  of  being  concerned  in  the 
conspiracy  in  favor  of  Lndy  Arabella.  He  was  hated  by.  the  people 
on  account  of  his  known  enmity  to  their  darling,  the  unfortunate 
Earl  of  Essex.  He  had  also  made  himself  obnoxious  to  the  king, 
and  to  his  minister,  Cecil,  Earl  of  Salisbury,  a  son  of  the  great 
Lord  Burleigh,  who  possessed  much  of  his  father's  capacity,  bu'" 
without  his  integrity. 

5.  Under  such  circumstances,  Raleigh,  whether  guilty  or  inno- 
cent, could  have  no  hope  to  escape  conviction.  He  was  sentenced 
to  death,  but  reprieved  and  held  for  many  years  in  imprisonment, 
which  he  employed  in  writing  a  "History  of  the  World,"  and 
other  works  which  have  gained  him  a  high  reputation  as  an 
author.  He  was  cheered  in  his  confinement  by  the  friendship  of 
Henry,  Prince  of  Wales. 

6.  The  prince,  who  was  as  unlike  his  father  as  possible,  sincerely 
admired  the  splendid  talents  of  Sir  Walter,  and  used  to  say  that 
"no  king  but  his  father  would  keep  such  a  bird  in  a  cage."  He 
would  have  seen,  had  he  lived,  that  this  poor  bird  was  at  length 
permitted  to  enjoy  a  short  period  of  liberty.  Thirteen  years  of 
imprisonment  had  subdued  Raleigh's  pride  and  haughtiness.  The 
people  had  forgotten  his  enmity  to  Essex,  and  now  exceedingly 
desired  his  liberation. 

7.  This  was  at  length  granted,  probably  by  the  application  of 
bribes  to  the  king's  favorite,  Villiers,  of  whom  we  shall  soon  hear 
more.  No  formal  pardon  was  granted,  but  might  readily  have 
been  purchased;  Sir  Walter,  indeed,  thought  of  doing  this,  but 
he  was  told  by  Lord  Bacon,  whom  he  consulted,  that  it  was  not 
necessary,  since  the  king's  appointment  of  him  to  the  command  of 
an  expedition  to  Guiana,  with  the  power  of  life  and  death  over  those 
under  him,  was  a  sufficient  pardon. 

8.  This  expedition  was  fitted  out,  at  the  instigation  of  Sir  Wal- 
ter, to  go  in  search  of  a  very  rich  gold  mine,  of  which  he  said  he 
had  obtained  information  in  a  former  voyage.  He  sailed  with 
several  ships,  and  directed  his  course  to  the  river  Orinoco.  Nothing 
was  effected  but  the  destroying  of  a  small  Spanish  town,  in  the 
attack  on  which  Raleigh's  eldest  son  was  killed. 

9.  The  Spanish  government  complained  of  this  act,  and  James, 
who  was  desirous  to  keep  on  good  terms  with  that  government, 
resolved  to  sacrifice  Raleigh  to  appease  their  resentment.  He  was 
first  tried  for  misconduct  in  the  late  expedition,  but  after  frequent 
examinations,  the  commissioners  insisted  that  there  was  no  ground 
for  complaint.  James  then  ordered  the  old  sentence  to  be  put  in 
force.  On  the  29th  of  October,  1618,  he  was  brought  to  the  scaffold, 
where  he  behaved  with  great  manliness  and  dignity. 

Arabella  Stuart?  4.  What  befell  Sir  Walter  Raleigh?  5.  How  did  he  employ  his  time 
in  prison?  6.  What  of  Prince  Henry?  7.  Why  did  not  Raleigh  demand  a  formal  par- 
don? 8.  Wh.at  expedition  did  he  go  upon?  With  what  success?  9,  10.  Relate  the  n- 
maining  particulars  of  his  life. 

25 


290 


THE   GUNPOWDER    PLoT. — 1605. 


10.  He  desired  to  see  the  axe,  and,  feeling  the  edge  of  it,  said  in) 
the  sheriff,  "  Tliis  is  a  sharp  medicine,  but  a  sure  remedy  for  all 
evils."  This  act  of  deliberate  cruelty  is  the  greatest  blot  on  James' 
reign,  and  caused  great  indignation  among  the  people,  who  felt 
that  they  had  lost  the  only  man  in  the  kingdom  who  had  any 
reputation  for  valor  or  any  military  experience. 


CHAPTER  CLIX. 

The  Gunpowder  Plot. 


GUNPOWDER  PLOT. 

1.  For  the  sake  of  giving  the  life  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to  its 
conclusion,  without  interruption,  we  have  gone  a  little  before  our 
story,  and  must  now  return  to  the  year  1605.  The  Roman  Catho- 
lics had  expected  great  indulgences  from  James  on  his  mother's 
account ;  but  they  found,  to  their  great  chagrin,  that  he  was  no 
less  steady  than  Elizabeth  had  been  to  the  cause  of  the  Protestants. 

2.  To  this  disappointment  was  owing  the  famous  Gunpowder  Plot, 
Two  Catholic  gentlemen,  named  Percy  and  Catesby,  being  in  conver 
sation  about  public  affairs,  became  highly  excited,  and  in  their  heat^ 
agreed  to  attempt  the  destruction  of  the  king,  lords,  and  commons,  at 
one  stroke.  This  was  to  be  done  by  blowing  up  the  Parliament 
House  with  gunpowder,  at  a  time  when  the  lords  an4  cominona 


CLIX. — 1.  What  disappointments  did  the  Catholics  meet  with?    2.  What  was   the 


THE   GUNPOWDER   PLOT. — 1605.  291 

should  have  met  together  to  hear  the  speech  which  the  king  makes 
at  the  opening  of  each  session. 

3.  The  design  was  communicated  to  a  few  persons,  and  Guy 
Fawkes,  a  man  of  known  courage  and  zeal,  who  was  then  serving 
as  an  officer  in  the  Spanish  army,  was  sent  for  to  aid  in  its  execu- 
tion. Percy  hired  the  building  next  to  the  parliament-house,  and 
the  conspirators  began  to  undermine  the  wall  between  the  two 
houses.  After  they  had  worked  some  time,  they  learned  that  the 
cellar  of  the  parliament-house  was  to  be  let. 

4.  This  was  exactly  what  they  wished ;  Percy  at  once  hired  it  for 
the  ostensible  purpose  of  storing  fuel.  Thirty-six  barrels  of  gunpowder 
were  secretly  placed  in  it,  and  covered  over  with  fagots  and  billets 
of  wood.  To  complete  the  deception,  the  doors  were  boldly  kept 
open,  and  everybody  admitted  as  if  it  contained  nothing  dangerous. 

5.  The  secret,  though  intrusted  to  above  twenty  persons,  had  been 
faithfully  kept  for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half,  during  which  time  there 
had  been  no  meeting  of  parliament.  At  length  the  members  were 
ordered  to  assemble  on  the  5th  of  November,  1605.  A  few  days 
before  the  time  appointed  for  the  meeting,  Lord  Monteagle  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  an  unknown  hand,  begging  him  not  to  be 
present  at  the  opening  of  parliament. 

6.  It  warned  him  not  to  think  lightly  of  this  advice ;  "  for  though 
there  was  no  appearance  of  any  stir,  yet  they  will  receive  a  terrible 
blow  this  parliament,  yet  they  shall  not  see  who  hurts  them."  Mont- 
eagle knew  not  what  to  think  of  this  letter,  and  showed  it  to  Lord 
Salisbury,  who  was  not  inclined  to  pay  much  attention  to  it;  but 
who,  nevertheless,  laid  it  before  the  king. 

7.  The  king  had  sagacity  enough  to  perceive,  from  its  earnest 
style,  that  something  important  was  meant ;  and  this  forewarning 
of  a  sudden  and  terrible  blow,  yet  with  the  authors  concealed,  made 
his  suspicions  come  very  near  the  truth.  The  day  before  the  meet- 
ing of  parliament,  he  sent  the  Earl  of  Suffolk  to  examine  all  the 
cellars  under  the  buildings  where  they  were  to  assemble. 

8.  Suffolk  was  surprised  to  see  so  many  piles  of  wood  and  fagots 
in  the  cellars  under  the  house  of  lords,  and  was  struck  also  with 
the  dark  and  mysterious  countenance  of  Guy  Fawkes,  who  called 
himself  Mr.  Percy's  servant.  Suffolk  departed,  however,  without 
giving  any  intimation  of  his  suspicions,  but  resolved  to  make  a 
more  thorough  search  at  an  hour  when  the  conspirators  would 
probably  be  making  their  last  preparations. 

9.  Accordingly,  about  midnight,  a  party  of  officers  proceeded  to 
the  cellar.  Near  the  door  they  seized  Guy  Fawkes,  dressed  in  a 
cloak  and  boots,  and  carrying  a  dark  lantern ;  and  in  his  pockets 
were  found  matches  and  everything  requisite  for  setting  fire  to  the 
powder.  On  turning  over  the  fagots,  the  barrels  of  gunpowder 
were  discovered.  Fawkes  at  first  appeared  undaunted,  but  his 
courage  afterwards  faifed  him,  and  he  made  a  full  confession. 

10.  Percy,  Catesby,  and  some  others  fled  into  Warwickshire,  where 

gunpowder  plot ?    3.  Who  were  the  principal  actors?     Relate  the  preparation  made  by 
the  conspiratora.    5,  6,  7.  How  was  it  discoTered?    8,  9.  What  steps  were  taken  by  th« 


292 


THE   GUNPOWDER   PLOT. 16UD. 


Sir  Everard  Digby,  another  of  the  band,  had  already  taken  up  arms, 
so  confident  was  he  that  the  "  terrible  blow"  had  been  given  in  Lon- 
don. The  country  was  soon  roused  against  the  criminals,  who  took 
refuge  in  one  of  those  fortified  houses,  so  common  at  that  day. 


SKIZURE  OF  GUY   FAWKES. 

11.  But  the  same  fate  awaited  them  which  they  had  designed  for 
80  many  others.  Their  gunpoAvder  took  fire  and  blew  up,  maiming 
and  destroying  several  of  them.  The  rest  rushed  out  upon  the 
multitude,  and  were  literally  cut  to  pieces,  except  a  few  who  were 
taken  alive,  and  afterwards  tried  and  executed. 

12.  The  5th  of  November  is  still  observed  as  a  holiday  in  Eng- 
land, and  was  also  observed  in  this  country  so  long  as  it  remained 
in  a  state  of  dependence  upon  Great  Britain.  One  of  the  most 
noisy  observances  of  the  day  is  the  burning  of  Guy  Fawkes  in 
effigy.  But  the  bundle  of  rags  which  serves  as  his  representative, 
by  no  means  does  justice  to  him. 

13.  We  are  told  that  during  his  trial  and  imprisonment  he  was 
richly  apparelled,  to  the  great  scandal  of  the  people ;  some,  it  is 
said,  were  especially  indignant  at  him  for  "  taking  tobacco  out  of 
measure ;"  tobacco  being  then  a  novelty,  it  was  doubtless  considered 
too  great  a  luxury  for  a  traitor. 


government?    IQ    il.  What  became  of  the  chief  conspirators?    12,  13.  What  of  Guj 
Fawkes? 


DEATH   OF   PRINCE   Hj:.NRY. 1612.  293 

CHAPTER  CLX. 

Prince  Henry. — The  Condition  of  the  English  People  unatr  James. — 
Masques. — Baronets  first  created. 

1.  Prince  Henry  has  been  introduced  to  the  reader  in  so  favor- 
able a  manner,  thai  he  may  doubtless  be  willing  to  hear  something 
more  of  him.  He  is  always  spoken  of  in  history  as  an  extraor- 
dinary young  man.  He  was  fond  of  study,  and  before  he  was 
seven  years  old  he  could  write  Latin  correctly ;  he  was  also  ex- 
ceedingly expert  in  all  manly  and  active  exercises. 

2.  He  was  sincerely  religious,  and  when  he  was  old  enough  to 
have  an  establishment,  would  keep  no  persons  in  his  service  whom 
he  did  not  think  worthy  of  his  good  opinion.  We  are  told  that  he 
kept  his  numerous  household  in  the  most  exact  order,  and  that  a 
glance  of  his  eye  served  instead  of  a  command ;  but  though  a  strict, 
he  was  a  very  kind  master. 

3.  He  was  warm  and  ardent  in  his  friendships,  and  a  great 
proof  of  his  sense  was  that  his  friends  were  always  well  chosen. 
He  had  an  anxiety  to  know  all  great  and  distinguished  persons, 
and  he  cultivated  the  correspondence  of  learned  men,  his  own  coun- 
trymen as  well  as  foreigners. 

4.  There  was  one  trait  in  his  character  which  might  have  been 
productive  of  national  evils.  This  was  his  ambition  of  military 
glory.  His  mother,  because  his  person  had  a  real  or  a  fancied  re- 
semblance to  Henry  V.,  used  to  tell  him  that  he  was  born  to 
conquer  France  like  that  hero.  He  had  too  much  good  sense  to 
be  misled  by  such  a  foolish  prognostic ;  yet  it  is  certain  that  he  in- 
dulged in  many  visionary  schemes  of  future  prowess. 

5.  He  took  great  interest  in  the  navy,  and  made  frequent  visits  to 
Chatham,  where  there  was  and  still  is  a  dock-yard,  to  examine  and 
learn  all  he  could  about  shipping.  He  was  never  idle,  and  his 
extraordinary  diligence  gave  him  time  to  attend  to  a  great  many 
things.  Possessed  of  so  many  noble  qualities,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
the  English  looked  forward  with  pleasure  to  the  time  when  he 
should  rule  over  them. 

6.  But  all  their  anticipations  were  disappointed  by  his  death  at 
the  early  age  of  eighteen.  When  first  taken  ill  he  did  not  show  his 
usual  discretion.  He  had  such  confidence  in  his  own  strength  of 
constitution  that  he  would  not  give  up  his  accustomed  duties  and 
exercises  so  long  as  he  could  rise  from  his  bed.  The  ignorance  of 
his  physicians  completed  what  his  own  imprudence  had  begun. 

7.  The  death  of  this  prince  was  a  peculiar  disappointment  to  all  the 
restless  and  ardent  men  who  hoped  for  an  opportunity  to  signalize 
themselves  under  a  prince  of  martial  genius.  To  such,  the  peace- 
ful and  inactive  disposition  of  his  father  was  matter  of  complaint; 
but  to  the  great  mass  of  the  people  it  brought  comfort  and  happi- 
ness.   There  were  no  expensive  wars,  and  therefore  few  taxes. 

CLX. — 1,  2,  3.  What  of  Prince  Henry's  character?     4,  5.  What  sovereign  was  he  said 
to  resemble  ?     What  was  predicted  on  this  account  ?    6.  How  were  the  hopes  of  all  dis* 

25* 


294   CONDITION   OF   THE   PEOPLE   UNDER   JAMES. — 1603-1626. 

8.  By  discouraging  the  thronging  of  the  higher  orders  to  court, 
James  kept  many  of  the  principal  families  quietly  at  home,  where 
they  lived  both  frugally  and  usefully  among  their  tenantry.  A  con- 
temporary writer  says,  "  There  is  no  people  in  the  whole  world 
where  men  of  all  conditions  live  so  peaceably,  and  so  plentifully, 
yea,  and  so  safely  also,  as  in  England." 

9.  We  are  also  told  that  "the  houses  of  farmers  were  often  fur- 
nished with  a  garnish  of  pewter  on  the  cupboard;  three  or  four 
feather-beds,  with  as  many  coverlets,  and  carpets  of  tapestry,  a 
silver  salt,  a  bowl  for  wine,  and  a  dozen  spoons  to  finish  out  the 
suit."  This  is  an  establishment  superior  to  that  of  earls  in  the 
time  of  Henry  VII. 

10.  James  himself  was  probably  the  poorest  man  in  his  domin- 
ions. Though  not  extravagant  in  his  habits,  he  was  always  em- 
barrassed, from  his  ignorance  of  the  value  of  money,  and  from  his 
thoughtless  profusion  to  his  favorites.  It  is  said,  that  one  day  as 
he  was  standing  in  the  midst  of  his  courtiers,  a  porter  passed  by 
loaded  with  money  for  the  royal  treasury.  The  king  observed  that 
Kich,  Earl  of  Holland,  one  of  these  favorites,  whispered  something 
to  his  neighbor. 

11.  Upon  inquiry  he  found  that  Eich  had  said,  "How  happy 
would  that  money  make  me!"  Without  hesitation,  James  be- 
stowed it  all  upon  him,  though  it  amounted  to  3000  pounds.  He 
added,  "  I  think  myself  very  happy  in  having  an  opportunity  to 
oblige  a  man  whom  I  love." 

12.  The  queen  also  brought  great  expenses  upon  him  by  her  pas- 
sionate love  of  shows  and  entertainments,  especially  of  masques. 
These  were  a  kind  of  play,  generally  performed  by  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen in  private  houses.  The  queen  was  excessively  fond  of 
appearing  in  these  masques,  in  which  the  characters  had  little  else 
to  do  than  to  display  their  fine  dresses. 

13.  On  one  occasion  she  and  the  ladies  of  her  court  performed  a 
masque  in  the  character  of  Moorish  women,  and  had  their  faces  and 
arms  blackened  in  order  to  look  like  Moors,  and  the  effect,  as  we  are 
told  by  one  of  the  spectators,  was  "horridly  ugly."  The  court 
masques  were  got  up  under  the  direction  of  Ben  Jonson,  who,  after 
being  a  bricklayer,  a  soldier,  and  an  actor,  finally,  by  the  assistance 
of  his  friend,  Shakspeare,  attained  to  great  celebrity  as  a  dramatic 
writer.  He  died  in  1637,  and  was  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey. 
On  his  grave-stone  is  this  inscription:  "0!  Eare  Ben  Jonson." 

14.  To  meet  all  his  expenses,  James  was  obliged  to  have  recourse 
to  various  expedients ;  amongst  others,  to  the  sale  of  titles  and  dig- 
nities; though  at  his  accession  he  had  given  these  away  in  such 
profusion  as  to  lead  some  wag  to  advertise  to  teach  an  art  by  which 
people  could  remember  the  names  of  the  new  nobility.  A  species  of 
hereditary  knighthood,  unknown  in  other  kingdoms,  was  invented ;  it 
was  that  of  baronet,  and  was  sold  to  any  one  for  a  thousand  pounds. 


appointed?  7,  8,  9.  What  of  the  state  of  the  country  under  James?  10, 11.  What  in 
Btance  of  his  liberality?  12,  What  were  masques?  Who  directed  the  court  masques? 
14.  How  did  James  raise  money  for  his  expenses? 


A^'ECDOTES   OF   JAMES. 


295 


CHAPTEE    CLXI. 

Anecdotes  of  James  I. — The  Bible  translated. —  Coaches  introduced. 


TRANSLATING  THE  BIBLE. 

1.  Next  to  controversy,  the  employment  which  James  loved  best 
was  hunting ;  and  he  carried  it  to  such  an  extreme,  that  he  led  his 
poor  courtiers,  who  were  not  equally  fond  of  it,  a  weary  life.  One 
of  them  makes  heavy  complaints  of  being  obliged  to  ride  with  him, 
in  heat  and  cold,  dry  and  wet,  from  eight  in  the  morning  till  four 
in  the  afternoon,  in  full  career,  from  the  death  of  one  poor  hare  to 
that  of  another.  » 

2.  James  had  a  hunting-palace  at  Newmarket,  and  another  at 
Royston.  When  he  and  his  attendants  were  there,  they  consumed 
all  the  provisions  in  the  place,  and  made  such  a  bustle  that  the  quiet 
inhabitants  did  not  at  all  like  these  visitations.  In  one  of  these 
hunting  bouts,  Jowler,  the  king's  favorite  hound,  was  missing. 

3.  The  king  was  exceedingly  vexed  at  his  loss  ;  but  the  next  day 
Jowler  reappeared  with  a  piece  of  paper  tied  to  his  collar,  bearing 
these  words :  "  Good  Mr.  Jowler,  we  pray  you  speak  to  the  king, 
{for  he  hears  you  every  day,  and  so  doth  he  not  us,)  that  it  will 
please  his  majesty  to  go  back  to  London,  or  else  the  country  will  be 
undone;  all  our  provision  is  spent,  and  we  are  not  able  to  entertain 
him  any  longer." 

OLXI. — 1.  Of  what  amusement  was  James  fond  ?    2.  Relate  the  anecdote  of  his  dog. 


296  THE  king's  favorites. 

4.  James,  like  his  predecessor,  sometimes  attempted  a  joke.  We 
will  give  one  as  a  specimen.  A  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Lumley 
was  boasting  to  him  of  the  great  antiquity  of  his  family.  "  Hoo, 
mon,"  exclaimed  the  king  in  his  broad  Scotch,  "  I  did  nae  ken  that 
Adam  was  a  younger  son  of  the  Lumley  family." 

5.  Though  we  are  very  apt  to  ridicule  James  for  his  folly  and  ped- 
antry, yet  we  ought  not  to  forget  that  we  owe  liim  one  obligation, 
which  it  would  be  very  ungrateful  not  to  remember.  We  are  in- 
debted to  him  for  the  excellent  translation  of  the  Bible  now  in  use, 
Cranmer's  Bible,  having  been  made  from  very  defective  Latin  trans- 
lations, was  in  many  places  not  faithful  to  the  originals.  James 
therefore  employed  some  very  learned  men  to  make  a  translation 
from  the  original  languages ;  the  Old  Testament  being  in  the  Hebrew, 
and  the  New  Testament  in  the  Greek  language.  Nearly  fifty  per- 
sons were  occupied  about  it  for  four  years. 

6.  Although  James  was  of  so  peaceful  a  temper,  he  took  great 
pride  in  his  navy,  and  built  many  large  vessels.  These  were  em- 
ployed in  protecting  commerce,  which  had  much  increased,  and  in 
visiting  the  new  colonies  of  Virginia  and  Plymouth,  which  were 
successfully  planted  during  his  reign.  The  increase  of  commerce 
brought  increase  of  wealth  and  luxury.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  had 
become  too  effeminate  to  ride  on  horseback,  but  must  needs  have 
coaches.  The  first  coach  we  read  of  as  used  in  England  is  one  that 
Lord  Arundel  had  in  1580.  But  in  the  reign  of  James  there  were 
even  hackney  coaches. 

7.  These  early  coaches  were  very  liivC  modern  wagons ;  they  were 
cumbrous,  jolting  vehicles,  and  so  capacious  as  to  hold  eight  persons 
commodiously.  Six  individuals,  three  on  each  seat,  sat  opposite  to 
one  another;  the  two  others  sat  back  on  two  stools  that  faced  the 
two  doors.  But  the  favorite  Villiers,  Duke  of  Buckingham,  jvas  too 
effeminate  to  ride  in  a  coach  even.  He  introduced  sedan  chairs,  to 
the  great  scandal  of  the  people,  who  thought  it  degrading  to  men  to 
make  them  do  the  work  of  horses. 


CHAPTER    CLXn. 

The  King's  Favorites,  Carr,  Earl  of  Somerset,  and  Villiers,  Duke  of 
Buckingham. — Romantic  Expedition  of  Prince  Charles  into  Spain, 
— Death  of  James  I. 

1.  As  we  have  frequently  spoken  of  the  king's  favorites,  it  is  time 
to  say  something  more  particularly  about  them.  It  was  one  of  his 
follies  to  have  an  exclusive  regard  for  some  one  person,  who  was 
generally  chosen  for  his  agreeable  exterior.    The  first  of  these  was 

For  what  are  we  indebted  to  James  ?    6.  What  colonies  were  planted  in  his  reign  i     7. 
What  of  the  use  of  coaches  ? 


EXPEDITION    OF    PRINCE   CHARLES   INTO   SPAIN.         297 

Robert  Carr,  a  Scotch  youth  of  good  family,  but  of  a  neglected 
education, 

2.  James  undertook  to  be  his  tutor,  and  to  teach  him  Latin.  As 
he  grew  older,  he  loaded  him  with  dignities,  and  finally  created 
him  Earl  of  Somerset.  This  favorite  had  a  sincere  and  wise  friend. 
Sir  Thomas  Overbury,  who,  on  his  wishing  to  marry  the  Countess 
of  Essex,  strongly  advised  him  against  it.  The  countess,  irritated 
at  this,  persuaded  Somerset  to  have  him  put  in  the  Tower,  where 
he  was  soon  after  poisoned. 

3.  Somerset  and  the  countess,  the  guilty  contrivers  of  his  death, 
then  married ;  but  he,  being  less  hardened  in  wickedness,  sunk  into 
melancholy,  and  became  such  a  dull  companion  that  the  king  grew 
weary  of  him.  The  guilt  of  Somerset  and  his  wife  was  some  time 
afterwards  discovered. 

4.  They,  and  all  who  had  been  accessory  to  the  murder,  were 
tried  and  convicted.  The  accomplices  were  executed,  but  Somerset 
and  his  wife  were  only  banished.  They  lived  many  years,  dragging 
on  a  most  miserable  life ;  their  former  love,  which  had  led  them 
into  guilt,  being  turned  to  the  most  deadly  hatred. 

5.  As  the  king  was  one  day  listening  to  a  play  which  was  repre- 
sented for  his  entertainment  by  the  scholars  of  Cambridge,  he  w^as 
attracted  by  the  handsome  person  and  fine  clothes  of  George  Villiers, 
who  had  purposely  been  placed  in  a  conspicuous  situation.  James 
at  once  took  him  into  his  service.  Villiers  soon  gained  an  unbounded 
influence  over  the  king,  who  created  him  Duke  of  Buckingham. 

6.  James  was  exceedingly  desirous  of  marrying  his  son,  Charles, 
who  was  now  the  heir  to  the  throne,  to  a  daughter  of  the  King  of 
Spain.  A  Spanish  match  was  not  at  all  to  the  liking  of  the  people, 
who  remembered  the  days  of  Philip  and  Mary.  It  found,  however, 
a  warm  advocate  in  the  Duke  of  Buckingham.  This  nobleman,  who 
enjoyed  the  rare  good  fortune  of  being  in  equal  favor  with  the  reign- 
ing monarch  and  with  the  heir  to  the  throne,  possessed  Prince 
Charles  with  a  desire  to  undertake  a  romantic  journey  into  Spain, 
to  see  the  princess,  and  to  woo  her  in  person. 

7.  It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  the  king  could  be  persuaded  to 
consent  to  this.  At  last,  entirely  against  l^is  own  judgment,  he  agreed 
to  permit  the  departure  of  his  son  and  Buckingham.  To  the  latter  he 
gave  many  charges  to  take  care  of  the  "  baby  Charles,"  as  he  was 
accustomed  to  call  the  prince,  though  then  in  his  twenty-second  year. 

8.  The  prince  and  the  duke  left  England  disguised  and  undis- 
covered. In  their  way  through  France,  they  attended,  without  being 
recognized,  a  ball,  where  Charles  first  saw  the  French  princess, 
Henrietta  Maria,  whom  he  afterwards  married.  When  he  arrived 
at  Madrid,  he  made  himself  and  his  errand  known. 

9.  The  King  of  Spain  treated  him  with  great  respect;  but  whether 
it  was  that  Charles  did  not  like  the  Spanish  princess  so  well  as  the 
beautiful  sister  of  the  King  of  France,  or  whether  Buckingham, 


CLXIT.— 1.  Who  was  the  first  favorite  of  the  king?  2.3.  What  became  of  Somer- 
set? 5.  What  of  Villiers?  6.  What  expedition  did  Prince  Charles  go  upon? 
7.  What  charge  did    th^    king    give    to    Buckingham?      9.   Why    was    the    Spanish 


298  DEATH   OF   JAMES   I. — 1626. 

who  thought  himself  slighted  by  the  haughty  Spaniards,  to  whom 
his  insolent  manners  were  highly  offensive,  persuaded  him  to 
abandon  the  suit,  it  is  certain  that  after  some  months'  absence,  he 
returned  to  England,  wholly  unwilling  to  pursue  the  negotiation 
into  which  James  had  entered. 

10.  It  w^as  accordingly  broken  off,  and  overtures  of  marriage  made 
to  Henrietta  Maria.  Whilst  this  negotiation  was  still  pending,  the 
king  fell  ill  of  an  ague.  Finding  his  end  approaching,  he  took  an 
affectionate  leave  of  his  son,  and  died  March  27th,  1625,  in  the 
fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  twenty-second  of  his  reign  over 
England.  He  had  been  recognized  as  King  of  Scotland,  as  will  be 
recollected,  almost  from  his  birth. 

FAMILY  OF  JAMES  I. 

W^IFE. 
Anne,  Princess  of  Denmark. 

CHILDREN. 

Henry,  died  November  6th,  1612,  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  his  age. 

Charles,  who  succeeded  his  father. 

Elizabeth,  who  married  Frederick,  ex-King  of  Bohemia.     From  her,  through 

her  daughter,   Sophia,  who  married  the  Elector  of  Hanover,  the  present 

royal  family  of  England  derive  their  title  to  the  throne. 


CHAPTEE  CLXIII. 

2%e  great  Philosopher ,  Lord  Bacon. — Lord  Napier  invents  Logarithms, 
— Sir  Edward  Coke. — The  Puritans. 

1.  We  have  had  no  opportunity,  in  the  course  of  our  story,  of 
introducing,  except  by  name,  the  brightest  ornament  of  this  reign. 
Francis  Bacon,  Viscount  St.  Albans,  better  known  as  Lord  Bacon, 
first  came  into  notice  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth.  She  was  sensible 
of  his  great  talents,  but  his  advancement  was  steadily  opposed  by 
Lord  Burleigh,  who  assured  Elizabeth  that,  though  he  was  a  man 
of  extraordinary  genius,  his  head  was  filled  with  philosophy,  and 
not  with  political  knowledge. 

2.  James  raised  him  to  the  office  of  chancellor,  and  his  misconduct 
in  that  high  post  fully  justified  the  sagacious  Burleigh's  opinion. 
One  of  the  most  important  duties  of  the  chancellor  is  to  act  as 
judge,  and  as  his  court  is  the  highest  in  the  kingdom,  the  most  im- 
portant causes,  in  respect  to  property,  are  brought  before  it. 

3.  Bacon  was  accused  of  taking  bribes  from  suitors  in  his  court ; 
and  being  brought  to  trial  for  the  offence,  he  confessed  that  he  had 
connived  at  the  reception  of  them  by  his  officers.   He  was  dismissed 

match  broken  oflF?    10.  When  did  James  die?     How  old  was  he?     How  long  did  ha 
reign  ? 

CLXIII. — ^1  When  did  Lord  Bacon  come  into  notiee?  Who  opposed  his  advance- 
ment?   Why?     2.  By  what  conduct  did  he  justify  Burleigh's  opinion?    3,4.  What  of 


LORD    BACON LORD    NAPIER SIR    EDWARD    COKE.      299 

from  his  station,  and  sentenced  to  pay  a  heavy  fine,  and  to  be  im- 
prisoned during  the  king's  pleasure.  James,  in  consideration  of 
his  many  merits,  released  him  from  prison,  and  remitted  the  fine. 


L.ORD  BACON. 

4.  Bacon  survived  his  disgrace  five  years,  during  which  time  he 
employed  himself  in  prosecuting  those  philosophical  studies  in 
which  he  was  naturally  fitted  to  excel,  and  in  which  he  has  attained 
a  higher  reputation  than,  perhaps,  any  other  writer  of  any  age  or 
country.     He  died  in  1626. 

5.  There  is  another  man  of  science  who  deserves  a  passing 
notice.  This  is  Lord  Napier,  who  immortalized  himself  by  the 
invention  of  a  system  of  artificial  numbers,  called  logarithms,  which 
greatly  facilitated  the  calculation  of  great  sums  in  arithmetic. 

6.  This  age  was  so  prolific  in  great  men,  that  we  hardly  know 
where  to  stop.  We  can  mention  but  one  more.  Sir  Edward  Coke 
was  the  most  eminent  lawyer  of  this  age.  He  met  with  many 
changes  of  fortune ;  but  he  made  the  best  of  adversity,  and  King 
James  used  to  compare  him  to  a  cat,  who  always  falls  upon  her  feet. 

7.  Before  beginning  the  story  of  King  Charles,  we  must  notice 
a  new  sect  which  had  arisen  among  the  Protestants,  Many  of  these 
had  taken  refuge  from  the  persecution  of  Mary,  at  Geneva,  and  had 
there  learned  the  doctrines  of  Calvin,  the  Swiss  reformer. 


B*con  after  his  disgrace?    5.  What  of  Tx>rfl  Napier?    6.  What  of  Sir  Edward  Coke' 


300  CHARLES    I. 1625. 

8  These  Puritans — for  so  they  were  called  from  their  strict  man- 
ner of  living — laid  a  most  serious  stress  on  many  minute  trifles. 
Square  caps,  like  those  still  worn  by  the  students  at  the  English 
universities,  had  hitherto  been  a  part  of  the  dress  of  the  clergy. 
The  puritans  attacked  the  use  of  them  as  being  a  sinful  remnant 
of  popery ;  and  the  respective  merits  of  square  caps  and  round  caps 
became  a  subject  of  furious  contention. 

9.  The  puritans  found  no  favor  with  the  court,  for  they  did  not 
acknowledge  the  supremacy  of  the  queen,  any  more  than  of  the 
pope,  in  spiritual  matters ;  yet  their  doctrines  made  rapid  progress 
among  the  people.  Their  public  preachings  and  private  exhorta- 
tions had  a  visible  effect  on  the  manners  of  the  age,  particularly  in 
regard  to  the  Sabbath,  which,  by  their  example,  began  to  be 'ob- 
served with  seriousness,  instead  of  being  made,  as  heretofore,  a  day 
of  pastime,  and  often  of  excess. 


CHAPTER  CLXIV. 

Charles  /.,  sometimes  called  the  Martyr,  is  opposed  by  the  Parliament 
in  his  Attempts  to  increase  the  Royal  Power. — Murder  of  the  Duke 
of  Buckingham. 

1.  Charles  was  in  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  his  age  when  he  as- 
cended the  throne.  His  features  were  regular,  and  he  would  have 
been  handsome,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  melancholy  cast  of  his  coun- 
tenance. His  deportment  was  exceedingly  dignified,  though  during 
the  early  part  of  his  life  it  was  somewhat  ungracious  from  its  too 
great  stateliness  and  formality ;  but  this  wore  off  as  he  grew  older. 

2.  In  the  morality  and  regularity  of  his  conduct  he  set  a  good 
example  to  bis  court  and  people ;  he  was  moderate  in  all  his  habits 
and  his  expenses,  humane  and  gentle  in  his  disposition,  was  a  man 
of  kind  affections,  and  a  most  tender  husband  and  father.  His 
mind  was  highly  cultivated,  and  he  had  extraordinary  talents  for 
reasoning  and  argument ;  but  through  his  indecision  of  character, 
he  seldom  acted  as  wisely  as  he  could  talk,  and  was  often  swayed 
by  the  counsels  of  men  of  far  inferior  capacity.  His  temper  was 
somewhat  hasty,  but  he  was  generous  and  forgiving. 

3.  But  Charles  had  imbibed  some  notions,  which,  notwithstand- 
ing his  many  fine  and  good  qualities,  at  length  brought  about  his 
destruction.  He  had  too  high  an  idea  (S  the  royal  prerogative; 
many  of  the  unjust  usurpations  of  powei  made  by  Elizabeth  he 
considered  as  the  natural  rights  of  the  sovereign,  which  he  could 
not  fairly  be  expected  to  resign. 

4.  From  the  very  commencement  of  this  new  reign,  much  popu- 

7.  What  new  sect  arose?    8.  Why  called  Puritans?    9.  What  of  the  progress  of  their 
opinions? 
CLXrV.— 1,  2.  What  of  Charles  I.?    3.  What  notions  of  power  had  he  imhibed?    4 


DISAFFECTION    OF    PARLIAMENT. 162b.  301 

lar  dissatisfaction  prevailed,  chiefly  because  the  king  surrendered 
himself  entirely  to  the  control  of  Buckingham,  who,  implacable  in 
his  hatreds,  fickle  in  his  friendships,  imperious  and  grasping  in  his 
desires,  was  regarded  with  universal  dislike.  The  king's  marriage 
with  Henrietta  Maria  was  also  very  displeasing  to  the  people, 
because  she  was  a  papist,  and  their  religious  feelings  were  shocked 
at  her  being  allowed  publicly  to  exercise  her  own  form  of  worship. 

5.  She  also  offended  the  more  serious  part  of  the  nation  by  the 
change  her  elegance  and  gayety  wrought  in  the  manners  of  the 
court ;  and  the  puritans  found  less  to  dislike  in  the  homely  vulgar- 
ity of  the  late  Queen  Anne,  of  Denmark,  than  in  the  grace  and 
beauty  of  Henrietta.  She  I30ssessed  great  influence  with  the  king ; 
and  much  of  his  subsequent  suffering  is  to  be  attributed  to  his  yield- 
ing to  the  dictates  of  her  violent  and  imperious  temper. 

6.  It  was  a  great  error  in  James,  as  also  in  his  son  Charles,  to  be 
occupied  with  abstract  speculations,  and  not  to  see  what  was  passing 
under  their  eyes.  Thus,  while  James  was  writing  books  on  kingly 
government,  he  never  perceived  that  the  house  of  commons  was  no 
longer  that  subservient  body  it  had  been  in  all  former  reigns,  but 
that  it  had  at  last  found  out  its  own  strength,  and  that  from  being 
the  slave  of  kings,  it  was  now  in  fact  their  master. 

7.  Charles  was  equally  blind  to  this  change,  and  was  not  aware 
of  the  difiiculties  which  he  was  bringing  on  himself  by  his  rash 
treatment  of  this  great  organ  of  the  will  of  the  people.  The  first 
year  of  his  reign  was  spent  by  him  in  making  attempts  to  extend 
his  authority,  and  by  the  commons  in  trying  to  curb  it.  Provoked 
by  this  opposition,  Charles  hastily  dissolved  the  parliament,  and  thus 
the  king  and  the  commons  parted  in  mutual  disgust  and  animosity. 

8.  One  source  of  discontent  was  soon  removed  by  the  death  of 
Buckingham.  In  revenge  for  some  personal  affront,  he  had  per- 
suaded Charles  to  declare  war  against  France,  and  to  send  some 
troops  under  his  command  to  relieve  Rochelle,  in  which  a  body  of 
Huguenots,  as  the  French  Protestants  were  called,  were  closely  be- 
sieged by  the  troops  of  the  king,  who  was  a  strict  Catholic. 

9.  The  expedition  was  ill  planned  and  badly  executed  ;  and  Buck- 
ingham was  compelled  to  return  to  England,  where  he  set  about 
preparations  for  a  new  expedition,  in  which  he  hoped  to  recover  his 
lost  reputation.  Portsmouth  is  one  of  the  great  naval  stations  of 
England,  and  thither,  he  went  to  superintend  some  of  the  prepara- 
tions. 

10.  At  the  same  time  with  the  duke,  a  man  of  the  name  of  Felton 
arrived  there,  a  puritan  of  a  melancholy  and  enthusiastic  turn  of 
mind,  who,  learning  the  universal  complaints  made  against  Buck- 
iagham,  persuaded  himself  that  he  should  do  his  country  a  service 
by  taking  his  life.  He  had,  too,  been  disappointed  in  his  hopes  of 
promotion  in  the  army,  and  felt  some  personal  resentment  against 
the  duke. 

11.  For  several  days,  Felton  followed  the  duke  like  his  shadow. 

What  rendered  tlie  now  king  unpopular?  How  did  the  queen  offend  the  people?  What 
of  her  Influence  r)ver  the  king?     6.  What  error  did  hoth  .Tames  and  Charles  commit?    7. 

2fi 


302 


DEATH   OF   THE   DUKE   OF    BUCKINGHAM. — 1628. 


without  having  any  opportunity  to  effect  his  purpose.  At  last,  aa 
Buckingham  was  passing  through  a  doorway,  he  turned  to  speak 
to  Sir  Thomas  Fryer,  who  was  following  him,  when  an  arm  was 
suddenly  stretched  over  Sir  Thomas'  shoulder,  which  struck  a  knife 


DEATH  or  THE  DUKE  OF  BUCKINGHAM. 

into  th*^  duke's  breast.  All  passed  in  a  moment.  No  one  saw 
the  blow,  or  the  person  who  gave  it ;  the  bystanders  heard  Bucking- 
ham exclaim,  "  The  villain  has  killed  me !"  and  saw  him  pull  the 
knife  from  the  wound,  and  fall  dead  at  their  feet.  This  happened 
on  the  23d  of  August,  1628. 

12.  It  chanced  that  the  duke  had  been  engaged  in  an  animated 
conversation  with  some  French  gentlemen,  who,  as  is  the  custom 
with  that  lively  nation,  had  made  use  of  much  gesticulation  and  a 
loud  tone  of  voice.  Those  who  did  not  understand  the  conversation 
conjectured  that  there  had  been  a  quarrel  between  the  parties,  and 
that  the  duke  had  been  murdered  by  the  French  gentlemen,  upon 
whom  it  was  proposed  to  execute  summary  punishment.  There 
were  others  present,  however,  who,  though  equally  persuaded  of 
their  guilt,  were  in  favor  of  having  them  dealt  with  according  to  law. 

13.  But  the  matter  was  soon  set  right.  A  hat  was  found,  in 
which  was  pinned  a  paper,  containing  some  written  words  and  a 


How  was  the  first  year  of  Charles'  reign  spent  ?    8.  Upon  what  expedition  was  Buck 
ingham  sent?     9, 10, 11, 12, 13.  Relate  the  particulars  of  Buckingham's  death. 


MORE   TROUBLES    WITH   PARLIAMENT. 1629.  303 

Bhort  prayer,  which  proved  to  have  belonged  to  the  murderer.  A 
search  was  now  made  for  a  person  without  a  hat,  though  most 
agreed  that  it  was  hopeless,  as  sufficient  time  had  been  allowed  the 
criminal  to  escape.  In  the  midst  of  the  confusion,  a  man  without 
a  hat  was  seen  walking  very  composedly  before  the  door.  One 
cried  out,  "  Here  he  is !"  Others  ran  up,  asking,  "  Which  is  he  ?" 
The  man  very  sedately  answered,  "  I  am  he !"  He  was  accordingly 
taken,  tried,  and  executed. 


CHAPTEE  CLXV. 

Wentworth,  Earl  of  Strafford. — The  King  finds  the  Parliament  very 
unyielding. — He  resorts  to  illegal  Measures  to  obtain  Money. — About 
the  Scotch  Covenanters. 

1.  After  the  death  of  Buckingham,  a  change  took  place  in  the 
policy  of  the  king,  which  is  worthy  of  remark,  as  it  may  be  consid- 
ered almost  as  a  change  in  the  constitution  of  England.  Hitherto 
the  king  had  chosen  his  ministers  from  personal  favor,  or  from  his 
own  opinion  of  their  abilities,  without  regard  to  the  opinion  of  the 
people. 

2.  Charles  now  selected  his  chief  ministers  from  the  leaders  of 
those  who  opposed  the  assumption  of  new  power  by  the  crown,  and 
who  were  chiefly  puritans,  thus  making  it  for  their  interest  to  main- 
tain the  power,  of  which  they  had  become  the  partakers.  But  the 
king  did  not  derive  from  this  measure  all  the  advantages  which  he 
expected ;  for  his  views  were  so  directly  opposed  to  those  of  the 
puritans,  that  the  leaders  whom  he  had  gained  lost  from  that 
moment  all  influence  with  their  party,  and  were  even  pursued  as 
traitors  with  implacable  resentment. 

3.  The  chief  of  these  was  Sir  Thomas  Wentworth,  who  was 
created  Earl  of  Strafford,  a  man  whose  great  abilities  were  from 
that  time  devoted  with  as  much  zeal  to  increase  the  royal  power  as 
they  had  hitherto  been  to  diminish  it.  Indeed,  like  all  proselytes, 
he  seemed  to  have  wished  to  remove  all  suspicion  of  the  sincerity 
of  his  conversion  by  the  ardor  of  his  new  faith.  The  opinions 
which  he  now  advocated  would  have  better  suited  the  despotic 
times  of  the  Plantagenets,  than  those  in  which  he  was  placed. 

4.  The  late  king  had  left  an  exhausted  treasury,  and  the  parlia- 
ment had  granted  such  scanty  supplies  to  Charles,  that  he  found 
himself  in  want  of  money  to  pay  the  necessary  expenses  of  the 
government.  The  right  of  imposing  taxes  had  always  belonged  to 
the  parliament ;  but  such  was  the  subserviency  of  that  body  in  all 
former  reigns,  that  possession  of  it  was  of  no  great  practical  value, 
for  the  king's  wishes  were  always  complied  with. 

CLXV.— 1.  What  change  in  policy  after  Buckingham's  death?  Whom  did  Charles 
Mlect  for  his  ministers?  Why?  With  what  result?  3.  What  of  Sir  Thomas  Went- 
worth?   4.  Who  possessed  the  sole  right  to  impose  taxes?    5.  What  of  the  king's  power 


304  THE   SCOTCH    COVENANTERS. 

6.  It  is  a  part  of  the  king's  prerogative,  that  is,  constitutional 
right,  to  summon  a  parliament,  to  appoint  the  time  and  place  of 
meeting,  to  adjourn  the  meetings  from  time  to  time,  and  to  dis- 
solve the  parliament,  all  at  his  own  pleasure.  The  want  of  money 
compelled  Charles  to  summon  a  new  one,  but,  upon  finding  it  no 
more  complying  than  the  first,  he  dissolved  it,  declaring  that  he 
would  govern  the  kingdom  without  one. 

6.  He  now  had  recourse  to  the  most  arbitrary  and  unjust  ex- 
pedients to  obtain  money.  The  court  of  the  Star  Chamber  was 
made  an  instrument  to  wring  money  from  his  subjects.  The  most 
insignificant  trifles  were  made  the  occasion  for  imposing  enormous 
fines.  In  one  instance,  a  nobleman's  servant  quarrelled  with  a  citi- 
zen. The  servant  displayed  his  master's  badge,  which  happened  to 
be  a  swan,  upon  his  sleeve ;  the  other  said,  "  What  do  you  suppose 
I  care  for  that  goose?"  For  these  words  he  was  summoned  before 
the  Star  Chamber,  and  severely  fined  for  having  insulted  a  noble- 
man's crest,  by  calling  a  swan  a  goose. 

7.  Charles  also  attempted  to  collect  taxes  upon  his  own  author- 
ity. Amongst  others,  he  imposed  a  tax,  called  ship-money,  because 
it  was  to  be  used  for  the  maintenance  of  the  navy.  Though  the 
money  thus  raised  was  applied  to  the  specified  use,  yet  the  imposi- 
tion of  it  being  illegal,  the  people  were  highly  indignant. 

8.  Things  were  in  this  condition  in  England,  when  Laud,  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  with  more  zeal  than  discretion,  persuaded 
the  king  to  attempt  the  introduction  of  the  forms  of  the  English 
church  into  Scotland,  where  Presbyterianism  prevailed.  The  Scots, 
instead  of  submitting  to  the  dictation  of  the  king  and  his  prelate, 
drew  up  a  covenant,  whereby  they  bound  themselves  to  resist  all  re- 
ligious innovation ;  and  this  covenant  all  persons,  from  one  end  of 
Scotland  to  the  other,  were  required  to  sign. 

9.  The  covenanters  also  made  preparations  to  resist  the  prose- 
lytes by  force  of  arms.  An  army  was  assembled,  the  command  of 
which  was  given  to  the  Earl  of  Argyle.  The  town  of  Leith  was 
hastily  fortified ;  such  was  the  zeal  of  all  classes,  that  noble  ladies 
were  to  be  seen  mixing  with  the  lowest  of  the  people,  carrying  loads 
upon  their  shoulders  to  complete  the  works.  Charles  marched  an 
army  as  far  as  Berwick,  but  was  soon  forced  to  disband  it  for  want 
of  money  to  pay  the  troops.  He  was  obliged  to  purchase  the  sub- 
mission of  the  Scots  by  many  concessions. 

over  parliament?     6.  How  did  Charles  seek  to  obtain  money?    7.  What  of  ship-money  I 
S.  Wliat  gave  offence  in  Scotland  ?    9.  What  of  the  covenanter*? 


CHARLES   REDUCED   TO   GREAT   DISTRESS. — 1604. 


CHAPTER  CLXVI. 

The  King  reduced  to  great  Distress. — Death  of  Strafford. — Indiscreet 
Zeal  and  Death  of  Laud. — The  Breach  between  the  King  and  Parlia- 
ment widens. —  Charles  withdraws  from  London. 

1.  In  1640,  Charles  found  himself  in  such  a  distressed  condition, 
that  after  an  interval  of  eleven  years,  he  once  more  summoned  a 
parliament,  in  hopes  it  would  grant  him  some  assistance.  But  as 
soon  as  it  met,  instead  of  paying  any  attention  to  the  necessities 
of  the  king,  it  entered  upon  a  discussion  of  the  grievancTes  of  the 
people. 

2.  In  a  moment  of  irritation,  the  king  dissolved  the  parliament, 
a  rashness  which  he  had  afterwards  too  much  reason  to  repent. 
His  necessities  were  now  so  great  that  he  was  compelled  to  borrow 
money  of  his  courtiers ;  and  at  length,  as  a  desperate  resource,  to 
summon  a  new  parliament.  The  dissolution  of  the  former  one  had 
not  served  to  put  the  commons  in  better  humor  with  the  king  or 
his  ministers.  Their  first  measure  now  was  to  impeach  Strafibrd. 
He  was  tried,  and,  notwithstanding  an  eloquent  defence,  was  con- 
demned to  death.  • 

3.  The  king  could  not  for  a  long  time  be  induced  to  consent  to 
his  execution,  although  the  queen  and  his  other  advisers  besought 
him  to  make  the  sacrifice  to  the  popular  clamor.  At  length  it  was 
extorted  from  him,  but  no  suffering  of  his  own  gave  him  so  severe 
a  pang  as  the  death  of  his  faithful  friend  and  servant. 

4.  He  sent  a  letter  to  the  peers,  entreating  them  to  confer  with 
the  house  of  commons,  and  obtain  their  consent  to  a  mitigation  of 
Strafford's  punishment,  or  a  delay  in  its  execution.  But  the  com- 
mons were  inexorable,  and  he  was  beheaded  May  12th,  1641. 
Thus  was  literally  executed  the  threat  of  Pym,  one  of  the  most 
active  of  the  puritans,  who,  when  Strafford  left  that  party,  had  said 
to  him,  "  You  have  left  us ;  but  we  will  not  leave  you  while  your 
head  is  on  your  shoulders." 

6.  The  zeal  with  which  Laud  defended  the  royal  usurpations  of 
power,  rendered  him  very  acceptable  to  the  king,  and  not  less  ob- 
noxious to  the  people.  This  odium  was  still  further  increased 
by  the  extravagant  pretensions  which  he  put  forth  in  behalf  of 
the  clergy  of  the  established  church.  He  sought  too  to  restore 
many  of  the  imposing  ceremonies  of  the  Catholic  religion — a 
measure  which  shows  how  much  his  zeal  had  blinded  his  judgment, 
for  the  great  mass  of  the  nation  at  this  time  held  in  the  greatest  ab- 
horrence everything  that  reminded  them  of  the  Church  of  Eome. 

6.  As  may  be  well  supposed.  Laud  did  not  escape  the  censure  of 
the  parliament.     He  was  imprisoned,  and  all  his  property  confis- 

CLXVI.— 1.  To  what  was  Charles  forced  by  his  distress  for  money?  What  wiis  the 
result?  2.  Relate  what  followed.  What  befell  Strafford?  5.  What  of  Laud's  couduct? 
&  What  was  his  fate?    7.  To  what  bill  did  the  king  give  his  consent?    <•  What  liappened 

26* 


306       DflESS   OF   THE    CAVALIERS   AND    PURITANS. 1642. 

cated,  but  he  was  not  brought  to  trial  for  three  years.  He  waa 
then  found  guilty  of  high  treason,  and  beheaded  January  10th, 
1645. 

7.  Soon  after  the  condemnation  of  Strafford,  a  bill  was  passed  by 
parliament,  by  which  it  was  enacted  that  it  should  not  be  dissolved, 
or  adjourned,  without  its  own  consent.  This  bill  was  brought  to 
the  king,  at  the  time  when  his  mind  was  in  a  state  of  great  agita- 
tion, caused  by  Strafford's  pending  fate,  and  he  gave  it  his  assent 
without  much  consideration,  and,  by  this  thoughtless  act,  com- 
pletely fettered  himself.  The  parliament  applied  itself  to  the  re- 
dress of  grievances,  the  greatest  of  which  Was  the  court  of  the  Star 
Chamber,  which  was  abolished. 

8.  A  dangerous  rebellion  now  broke  out  in  Ireland,  and  all  the 
English  in  the  island,  without  regard  to  age  or  sex,  were  massacred, 
except  a  few  who  took  refuge  in  Dublin.  Charles  applied  to  parlia- 
ment for  assistance,  who  raised  money  and  collecte«l  ammunition 
on  pretence  of  the  Irish  service,  but  in  fact  kept  the  whole  supply, 
in  order  to  employ  it  against  the  king,  in  opposition  to  whose  au- 
thority many  factions  had  now  united  themselves. 

9.  One  party  was  composed  of  men  of  moderate  views,  who 
wished  merely  to  put  a  stop  to  the  abuses  of  the  royal  power.  The 
puritans  went  farther  than  this,  and  insisted  on  a  separation  be- 
tiveen  church  and  state.  The  independents,  who  were  puritans  in 
religious  belief,  were  republicans  in  political  faith,  and  sought  the 
overthrow  of  both  established  church  and  monarchy. 

10.  In  1642,  the  quarrel  between  the  king  and  the  parliament 
had  reached  such  a  height,  that  Charles  withdrew  from  London  to 
York,  taking  with  him  his  two  sons,  Charles  and  James.  Here  the 
chief  nobility  and  gentry  of  the  kingdom  flocked  to  him,  offering 
him  their  services.  The  peers,  with  the  exception  of  the  Earl  of 
Essex  and  a  few  others,  adhered  to  the  king,  while  the  puritans 
supported  the  parliament. 


CHAPTEE  CLXVII. 

I%e  Dress  of  the  Cavaliers  and  Puritans. —  Costume  of  the  Ladies.— 
Vandyke. — The  first  Museum. 

1.  The  two  parties  differed  in  dress  almost  as  much  as  in  prin- 
ciples and  manners.  In  a  work  published  about  this  time,  there  is 
a  print  of  a  cavalier,  or  malignant,  as  the  partisans  of  the  king  were 
called  by  their  opponents.  His  conical-shaped  hat,  decorated  with 
a  large  feather,  is  cocked  most  pertly  on  the  right  side  of  his  head. 
From  beneath  its  broad  brim,  the  long  hair  falls  upon  his  shoulders. 
The  tress  on  the  left  side,  so  much  longer  than  the  rest,  is  the  love- 
in  Ireland?  What  advantage  was  taken  of  it  by  parliament?  9.  What  of  the  different 
parties  in  the  state?    10.  When  did  Charles  withdraw  from  London? 

CLXVII. — 1.  What  were  the  king's  partisans  called?     Describe  the  dress  of  a  cavft 


COSTUME   OF   THE   LADIES. — 1«42. 


307 


lock,  which  was  so  particularly  obnoxious  to  tne  puritans,  that  Mr 
Pym  wrote  a  quarto  volume  against  it. 


DRESS  OF  1642. 

2.  His  doublet  reaches  no  lower  than  the  waistband  of  his  breeches, 
which  are  very  large,  with  puffs  like  small  blown  bladders,  quite 
round  the  knees ;  his  boots  are  very  short,  with  fringed  tops,  which 
are  nearly  as  ample  in  their  dimensions  as  the  brim  of  his  hat ;  his 
sword  is  enormous,  and  is  suspended  to  a  belt  which  comes  over  his 
right  shoulder.  To  this  we  may  add,  that  men  of  fashion,  and 
women  too,  wore  black  patches  upon  their  faces,  which  made  them 
look  all  over  spots. 

3.  We  must  now  give  a  description  of  the  dress  of  his  majesty,  as 
described  by  a  learned  antiquarv,  from  a  portrait  in  his  own  posses- 
sion. "  He  has  a  falling  band,  (a  decoration  for  the  neck,  which,  in 
this  reign,  supplanted  the  ruff,  which  had  maintained  its  place  in 
public  favor  for  several  reigns,)  a  short  green  doublet,  the  arm-parts 
towards  the  shoulders,  wide  and  slashed,  zig-zag  turned-up  ruffles ; 
very  long  green  breeches,  (like  a  Dutchman,)  tied  far  below  the 
knee  with  long  yellow  ribands;  red  stockings,  great  shoe-roses, 
and  a  short  red  cloak,  lined  with  blue,  with  a  star  on  the  shoul- 
der." 

4.  The  ladies  dressed  their  hair  low  on  the  forehead,  and  parted  in 
small  ringlets.  Many  wore  it  curled  like  a  peruke,  and  some  braided 
and  rounded  in  a  knot,  on  the  top  of  the  crown.  They  frequently 
wore  strings  of  pearls  in  their  hair.  Ear-rings,  bracelets,  and  other 
jewels,  were  worn  in  profusion.    The  shoes  of  a  lady  of  quality,  as 


lipr.      4.  What  of   ladies'  dress?      5.  Whence    the  name    "Vandyke"?     6.  What  of 


308  HAMPDEN — PYM  — SIR    HENRY    VANE. 

an  author  of  that  day  tells  us,  had  such  high  heels,  that  she  could 
not  walk  without  some  one  to  lead  her ;  and  her  gown  was  so  1  )ng^ 
that  she  could  not  stir  to  the  next  room  without  a  page  or  two  to 
hold  it  up. 

5.  Laced  handkerchiefs,  resembling  the  large  falling  bands  of  the 
men,  were  much  worn ;  and  the  fashion  of  these  has  since  been  re- 
vived under  the  name  of  Vandyke.  They  are  thus  called,  because 
they  were  copied  from  the  portraits  of  a  distinguished  painter  of 
that  name,  who  flourished  in  this  reign.  He  was  a  native  of  Ant- 
werp, and  was  invited  to  England  by  Charles. 

6.  He  painted  the  portraits  of  many  of  the  most  distinguished 
personages  of  the  court.  All  his  portraits  are  distinguished  by  their 
extraordinary  grace  and  elegance ;  but  whether  that  was  owing  to 
the  skill  of  the  painter,  or  that  he  was  fortunate  in  those  who  sat  to 
him,  is  more  than  historians  can  pretend  to  tell.  Charles  was  a 
great  admirer  of  paintings,  and  was  also  a  good  judge  of  them,  and 
had  made  the  finest  collection  of  pictures  at  that  time  in  Europe ; 
but  after  his  death  it  was  dispersed. 

7.  The  taste  for  collecting  rare  things  was  not  confined  to  the 
king,  for  his  gardener,  John  Tradescant,  made  the  earliest  museum, 
or  assemblage  of  curiosities,  known  in  England.  The  greater  part 
of  this  collection  is  yet  preserved  in  the  Ashmole  Museum,  at  Ox- 
ford. A  living  curiosity  of  this  reign  was  for  upwards  of  a  century 
to  be  seen  at  Lambeth,  the  palace  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
It  was  a  tortoise,  which  had  belonged  \o  Laud,  and  which  lived  till 
1753,  when  it  was  killed  by  accident. 

8.  A  word  or  two  about  the  dress  of  the  puritans,  and  we  will 
proceed  with  our  history.  The  puritans  were  in  every  respect  the 
reverse  of  the  cavaliers.  They  wore  short  hair,  short  bands,  short 
cloaks,  and  long  faces,  which  they  still  further  disfigured  by  wear- 
ing a  little  black  cap,  edged  with  white.  The  ladies  tied  their  heads 
up  in  hoods,  as  if  they  had  got  the  toothache.  In  ridicule  of  the 
close-cropped  hair  of  the  puritans,  the  party  of  the  parliament  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Bound-heads  from  their  opponents. 


CHAPTEE    CLXVIII. 

tTampden. — Pym. — Sir  Henry  Vane. —  The  Military  Commanders  on 
each  side. —  Commencement  of  Hostilities. — Battles  of  Edgehill  ana 
of  Marston  Moor. — Character  of  the  Troops  on  each  side-. 

1.  We  left  the  parties  apparently  on  the  verge  of  a  civil  war,  but 
before  we  give  the  details  of  this,  we  must  describe  the  leaders 
on  each  side.    The  most  influential  men  in  the  parliament  house 

his  portraits?    7.  Whiit  of  Charles'  taste  for  paintings?    8.  What  of  the  dress  of  the 
pm  Itans  ?     Why  called  "  Round-hea  ?s"  ? 


COMMENCEMENT    OF    HOSTILITIES. — lfi42.  309 

were  John  Hampden  and  John  Pym.  The  former  had  the  bold- 
ness, alone  and  unsupported,  to  resist  the  illegal  tax,  of  which  we 
have  already  spoken,  called  ship-money. 

2.  The  courtier-judges  decided  against  him ;  but  the  loss  of  his 
cause  was  more  than  compensated  to  him  by  the  veneration  and 
respect  with  which  he  was  treated  by  his  countrymen.  No  one 
doubted  the  purity  of  his  motives  in  opposing  the  king,  and  his 
death,  which  happened  very  early  in  the  ensuing  contest,  was  re- 
gretted alike  by  cavaliers  and  round-heads. 

3.  Sir  Henry  Vane  was  another  promoter  of  the  cause  of  the 
people.  When  quite  young  he  came  to  America.  His  grave  and 
solemn  deportment  won  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Massachusetts, 
and  in  1636  he,  being  then  about  twenty-four  years  old,  was  elected 
governor  of  that  colony.  But  his  popularity  was  short-lived,  and 
he  soon  returned  to  England,  where  a  sympathy  with  the  puritans, 
and  a  personal  pique  against  Strafford,  induced  him  to  join  the  op- 
ponents of  the  king.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability;  he  was 
fonti  of  theological  discussions,  and  was  the  founder  of  a  very  fanat- 
ical sect,  called  Seekers. 

4.  Those  whom  we  have  now  mentioned  were  more  distinguished 
as  speakers  than  as  generals.  The  military  leaders  were  the  Earl 
of  Essex  and  Lord  Fairfax,  both  of  whom  were  honest,  well-inten- 
tioned men.  The  former  was  a  son  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  wayward 
favorite.  His  pleasing  manner  and  address  were  well  calculated  to 
gain  the  favor  of  the  people.  He  was  a  good  soldier,  having  had 
much  experience  in  the  wars  of  foreign  countries. 

5.  The  king's  generals  were  his  nephew.  Prince  Rupert,  and  the 
Marquis  of  Newcastle.  Prince  Rupert,  who  was  a  son  of  Charles' 
sister,  Elizabeth,  was  a  brave  soldier,  but  too  rash  and  impetuous 
to  make  a  good  general.  He  was  the  inventor  of  the  style  of  en- 
graving called  mezzotint,  which  is  said  to  have  been  suggested  to 
him  by  observing  the  effect  of  rust  upon  an  old  gun,  which  a  soldier 
was  cleaning. 

6.  The  Marquis  of  Newcastle  was  a  man  of  immense  wealth,  and 
of  great  abilities,  both  in  council  and  in  the  field.  His  high  cha- 
racter induced  many  persons  to  join  the  royal  army,  and  while  he 
held  the  command,  the  royal  cause  prospered.  The  reader,  doubt- 
less, remembers  Seymour,  the  husband  of  Lady  Arabella  Stuart. 
He  had  now  become  Lord  Hertforc^  and  though  he  held  no  high 
command  in  the  army,  was  a  great  accession  to  the  royal  cause. 
He  was  fond  of  retirement  and  literary  pursuits,  but  he  cheerfully 
relinquished  these  to  serve  a  master  whose  family  he  had  no  great 
reason  to  love. 

7.  There  were  many  other  men  who  attained  to  eminence  in  these 
troubled  times,  but  these  are  all  that  we  need  to  mention  now.  On 
the  25th  of  August,  1642,  in  the  evening  of  a  very  stormy  day,  the 
king  set  up  his  royal  standard  at  Nottingham.    It  did  not  stand 

CLXVIII.— 1.  Who  were  the  most  influential  of  the  puritans  in  parliament?  What 
of  Hampden?  3.  What  of  Sir  Henry  Vane?  What  sect  did  he  found?  4.  Who  were 
tht)  military  leaders  for  the  parliament?  5.  Who  led  the  king's  troops?  What  of 
Prince  Rupert?    6.  What  of  the  Marquis  of  Newcastle?    What  of  Lord   Hertford? 


310  BATTLE   OF   EDQEHILL. — 1642. 

long,  for  the  violence  of  the  wind  soon  laid  it  on  the  ground;  an  ill 
omen,  which  added  to  the  gloom  and  sadness  felt  at  that  moment 
by  all  the  king's  friends. 

8.  The  character  of  Charles  seemed  in  some  respects  to  have 
changed  with  the  times.  He  now  displayed  a  vigor  and  address 
which  astonished  those  who  knew  his  former  studious  and  inactive 
habits.  The  stateliness  and  formality  of  his  manner  were  relaxed 
into- a  more  free  and  engaging  deportment.  He  had  formerly  been 
impatient  of  injury  or  opposition;  now  he  submitted  with  exem- 
plary resignation  and  cheerfulness  to  the  necessities  of  his  hard 
condition.  One  fault  remained  unchanged — the  wavering  inde- 
cision of  his  mind,  which  led  to  a  continual  change  of  measures, 
according  to  the  last  opinion  he  heard. 

9.  His  greatest  difficulty  was  to  raise  money.  The  queen  found 
means  to  get  to  Holland  with  her  own  and  the  crown  jewels,  which 
she  disposed  of  in  that  country ;  and  with  the  proceeds  she  pur- 
chased a  small  supply  of  arms  and  ammunition.  The  fleet  having 
taken  the  side  of  the  parliament,  the  little  vessel  that  conveyed 
this  supply  to  England  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  safely  over, 
and  at  last  escaped  being  taken,  by  running  aground  at  a  place 
where  the  water  was  too  shallow  for  large  ships  to  follow. 

10.  For  the  next  six  years  England  suffered  the  horrors  of  a 
civil  war.  Garrisons  were  placed  in  all  the  towns,  and  the  people 
thought  of  little  else  but  sieges  and  warfare.  The  first  battle  was 
fought  October  3d,  at  Edgehill,  in  Warwickshire.  In  this  contest 
neither  party  gained  any  decided  advantage.  Many  engagements 
followed,  in  which  the  royal  army,  composed  of  well-trained  sol- 
diers, under  officers  experienced  in  the  art  of  war,  commonly  proved 
successful  over  the  undisciplined  forces  of  the  parliament. 

11.  But  as  these  gained  skill  and  experience,  they  became  supe- 
rior to  any  troops  the  king  could  bring  into  the  field ;  for  every 
man  of  them  considered  the  cause  of  parliament  to  be  his  own,  and 
heartily  entered  the  service.  But  Charles  was  obliged  to  enlist 
any  soldiers  he  could  get,  and  amongst  them  many  dissolute  men, 
who  ridiculed  the  precise  and  rigid  character  of  the  puritans,  and 
expressed  their  contempt  of  them,  not  by  setting  a  better  example 
of  what  was  right,  but  by  showing  themselves  to  be  deriders  of  all 
religion  and  virtue. 

12.  Nothing  was  so  ruinoii*  to  the  king's  cause  as  the  conduct 
of  these  men,  who  committed  all  kinds  of  violence  and  excess ;  and 
the  country-people  naturally  liked  that  party  best  by  which  they 
were  most  humanely  treated.  The  parliament,  finding  it  less  easy 
to  crush  the  king  than  they  had  expected,  called  in  the  aid  of  the 
Scots,  and  entered  into  what  was  called  a  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant  with  them. 

13.  As  the  parliament  exercised  without  reserve  the  right  of  levy- 
ing taxes,  they  were  enabled,  under  continual  defeat,  to  bring  fresh 

7.  When  was  the  king's  standard  raised?  8,  What  change  in  Charles'  character? 
9.  What  of  his  supply  of  money?  10.  Where  and  when  was  the  first  battle  fought? 
What  of  the  parllameat's  troops ?    U,  12.  What  of  the  king's  troops?    Whoso  aid  did 


OLIVER   CROMWELL. 


311 


troops  into  the  field.  But  it  was  not  till  1644  that  they  gained  any 
decisive  victory.  The  first  was  at  Marston  Moor,  about  nine  miles 
from  York.  The  battle  was  fought  in  opposition  to  the  advice  of 
the  Marquis  of  Newcastle;  and  he,  despairing  to  benefit  a  cause 
where  such  rash  counsels  prevailed,  gave  up  his  command  the  morn- 
ing after  the  conflict,  and  retired  to  Holland.  After  this  there  was 
a  cessation  of  arms,  and  the  country  enjoyed  a  few  months  of  rest, 
during  which  an  attempt  was  made  to  reconcile  the  two  parties. 


CHAPTER  CLXIX. 

Oliver  Cromvjell. — Anecdotes  of  his  Childhood. — His  Character  when 
he  first  appeared  in  Public  Life. — About  his  Ironsides. 


OLIVER  CROMWELT. 


1 ,  During  the  progress  of  the  events  just  narrated,  the  republican 
party  in  the  house,  who  in  religion  were  known  as  Independents,  had 
been  gradually  gaining  the  ascendency.  The  chief  leader  of  this 
party  was  Oliver  Cromwell.  This  man,  who  was  destined  to  act  a 
very  important  part  in  the  world,  was  born  at  Huntingdon,  April 
25th,  1599.    There  is  a  curious  story  told  of  a  narrow  escape  which 


the  parliament  solicit?    13.  In  what  battle  were  the  parliament's  troops  victorioos  foi 
the  first  time  ? 
pliXIX.— 1.  What  party  gained  the    ascnndency  in  parliament?     Who  was  theil 


312  ANECDOTES   OF   CROMWELL's   CHILDHOOD. 

he  had,  when  an  infant,  from  the  mischievous  tricks  of  a  monkey 
He  had  been  taken  to  visit  his  grandfather,  old  ^r  Henry  Crom 
well,  at  Hinchinbroke,  and  while  his  nurse  was  out  of  the  way,  a 
great  monkey,  which  was  allowed  to  run  loose  about  the  house, 
snatched  him  out  of  the  cradle,  and  ran  with  him  upon  the  roof. 

2.  Here  it  was  seen  dancing  about,  with  the  child  in  its  arms,  to 
the  great  terror  of  the  whole  family.  It  was  impossible  to  attempt 
to  catch  the  animal ;  the  only  thing  that  could  be  done  w^as  to  place 
feather-beds  and  carpets  all  round  the  house,  for  the  child  to  fall  on 
in  case  the  monkey  should  let  him  drop.  However,  after  some  time 
the  creature  returned  down  into  the  house  by  the  way  it  had  got  up, 
and  brought  the  boy  back  in  safetj^.  From  his  infancy,  Cromwell 
was  distinguished  by  the  activity  of  his  body  and  of  his  mind.  In 
cricket,  football,  and  other  athletic  sports,  he  always  took  the  lead. 

3.  There  is  another  incident  which  is  said  to  have  happened  at 
Hinchinbroke,  which  is  not  so  well  authenticated.  It  is  related, 
that  Oliver  was  there  at  a  time  when  King  James  and  his  son 
Charles  were  on  a  visit  to  that  hospitable  mansion,  and  that  the 
two  boys  quarrelled.  Oliver  was  at  an  age  and  of  a  character  to 
make  little  distinction  between  royal  and  plebeian  blood,  and,  as 
the  story  goes,  gave  the  prince  a  sound  drubbing ;  which  circum- 
stance wiseacres  in  after  times  are  glad  to  bring  up,  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  saying,  that  "  coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before." 

4.  The  study  of  the  law  was  too  sedentary  an  occupation  to  suit 
Cromwell's  active  disposition;  so,  relinquishing  that  pursuit,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  married  and  retired  into  the  country,  where 
he  turned  puritan,  and  soon  became  distinguished  as  a  preachei 
and  expounder  of  Scripture.  In  1626,  he  was  elected  member  of 
parliament,  and  was  a  warm  opposer  of  the  crown.  Having,  in  the 
support  of  his  religious  opinions,  much  impaired  his  fortunes,  in 
1637,  he  agreed  with  Hampden,  Pym,  and  some  other  disaffected 
persons,  to  leave  England,  and  establish  a  settlement  in  America 
on  republican  principles. 

5.  They  and  their  families  were  already  embarked,  and  the  ships 
were  on  the  point  of  sailing,  when  the  king,  in  an  evil  hour  for  him- 
self, forbade  their  departure.  As  his  cliaracter  became  known. 
Cromwell  acquired  a  wonderful  influence  over  the  minds  of  men, 
and  this  is  to  be  ascribed  solely  to.  the  powers  of  his  mind,  for  he 
had  none  of  that  address  or  pleasing  exterior  which  is  generally 
necessary  to  obtain  popularity.  He  knew  the  precise  moment  when 
a  thing  was  to  be  done;  and  he  had  that  wonderful  penetration 
into  people's  characters,  that  he  seemed  almost  to  see  into  their 
hearts  and  read  their  thoughts. 

6.  With  all  this,  he  could  neither  write  nor  speak  with  common 
ability.  He  had  a  vehement  manner,  Avhich  made  people  suppose 
there  was  some  great  matter  in  his  speeches ;  but  it  was  a  hidden 
matter,  for  they  were  generally  so  confused,  that  it  was  almost  im- 

leader?  When  was  Cromwell  born?  2,  3.  Relate  the  anecdotes  of  his  childhood. 
4.  Relate  the  particulars  of  his  life  till  1637.  What  project  did  he  engage  in  then? 
How  was  it  defeated  ?    5.  What  of  his  character  ?    6,  7.  In  what  power  was  he  defl- 


BATTLE   OF   MARSTON    MOOR. 1644.  313 

possible  to  find  out  his  meaning.     We  will  give  a  passage  from  one 
of  his  speeches,  and  the  reader  may  make  sense  of  it  if  he  can. 

7.  "  I  confess,  for  it  behoves  me  to  deal  plainly  with  you,  I  must 
confess,  I  would  say  I  hope  I  may  be  understood  in  this,  for  indeed 
I  must  be  tender  in  what  I  say  to  such  an  audience  as  this,  I  say  I 
would  be  understood  that  in  this  argument  I  do  not  make  a  paral- 
lel between  men  of  a  different  mind,  and  a  parliament  which  shall 
have  their  deserts."  The  whole  speech  is  in  the  same  strain ;  but 
this  is  doubtless  enough. 

8.  Cromwell  was,  at  this  period  of  his  life,  a  sloven  in  his  dress, 
which  was  the  more  conspicuous  at  a  time  when  gentlemen's  attire 
was  unusually  graceful.  A  royalist  memoir- writer  thus  speaks  of 
him :  "The  first  time  that  I  ever  took  notice  of  him,  was  in  Novem- 
ber, 1640.  When  I  came  one  morning  to  the  house  of  commons,  1 
perceived  a  gentleman  speaking,  very  ordinarily  apparelled ;  for  it 
was  a  plain  suit,  which  seemed  to  have  been  made  by  an  ill  country 
tailor.  His  linen  was  plain,  and  not  very  clean,  and  I  remember  a 
speck  of  blood  upon  his  hand. 

9.  "  His  stature  was  of  a  good  size ;  his  countenance  swollen  and 
reddish ;  his  voice  harsh  and  untunable,  and  his  eloquence  full  of 
fervor."  Cromwell's  appearance,  however,  was  afterwards  im- 
proved ;  for  the  same  writer  adds,  "  I  lived  to  see  this  very  gen- 
tleman, by  multiplied  good  successes,  and  by  real  (though  usurped) 
power,  having  had  a  better  tailor,  and  more  converse  among  good 
company,  appear  of  a  great  and  majestic  deportment,  and  comely 
presence." 

10.  At  length  hostilities  commenced  between  the  king  and  the 
parliament,  and  a  scene  of  action  more  agreeable  to  Cromwell's 
character  was  opened  to  him.  It  was  chiefly  owing  to  his  exertions 
and  activity  that  the  parliament's  army  became  so  well  disciplined 
and  organized.  He  raised  a  body  of  cavalry  among  the  hardy 
young  farmers,  which  he  commanded  in  person.  It  was  Crom- 
well and  his  Ironsides,  as  his  troop  was  called  from  its  unyielding 
courage,  that  gained  the  victory  at  Marston  Moor;  for  in  the  early 
paft  of  the  day  fortune  had  inclined  to  the  royal  side. 


./ 


CHAPTER  CLXX. 

The  Battle  of  Naseby  decides  the  Contest — The  King  takes  refuge  with 
the  Scots. — Is  sold  by  them  to  the  Parliament — He  is  seized  by  the 
Army, —  Gromivell  lays  aside  the  mask. 

1.  The  Earl  of  Essex,  with  many  others  who  had  joined  the 
parliament  side  with  a  wish  to  redress  grievances,  and  not  to  over- 
throw the  monarchy,  were  now  anxious  to  make  an  accommodation 

cient?     8.  What  of  his  personal  habits  and  appearance?    10.  What  of  his  military 
talents?     What  was  his  body  of  troops  called?    Why? 

27 


314  BATTLE    OF    NASEBY. 1046. 

with  the  king,  but  they  were  overruled  by  the  independents.  Essex 
was  obliged  to  resign  the  command  of  the  army,  which  was  given 
to  Lord  Fairfax,  an  honest,  easy  man,  who  was  the  mere  tool  of 
Cromwell,  who  was  next  in  command.  This  was  a  very  clever 
contrivance  on  the  part  of  the  latter ;  for,  if  things  went  well,  he 
had  the  advantage ;  if  they  went  ill,  Fairfax  had  the  blame. 

2.  Many  thought  that  the  cause  of  the  parliament  would  be  much 
injured  by  this  change;  but  the  event  proved  them  to  be  wrong; 
for,  after  the  renewal  of  the  war,  their  troops  were  eveiy  where  vic- 
torious. The  battle  which  decided  the  contest  was  fought  near 
Naseby,  June  14th,  1646.  The  king,  as  he  was  marching  north- 
wards with  his  army,  received  information  that  Fairfax,  with  his 
troops,  which  he  supposed  to  be  in  another  part  of  the  country,  was 
within  five  miles  of  him. 

3.  He  halted,  and  called  a  council  of  war,  in  which  he  proposed 
to  remain  where  he  was  till  all  his  forces  could  be  collected ;  but 
the  eagerness  of  Rupert's  temper  prevailed  over  the  better  judgment 
of  the  king,  and  persuaded  him  to  march  immediately  against  Fair- 
fax. The  king  showed  himself  to  be  a  prudent  general  and  a 
valorous  soldier.  Had  he  been  opposed  to  Fairfax  alone,  he  prob- 
ably would  have  prevailed.  But  Cromwell  and  his  Ironsides 
brought  terror  and  conquest  wherever  they  appeared. 

4.  The  king's  troops  could  not  stand  their  onset,  but  gave  way. 
Charles  exhorted  his  cavalry  to  rally,  by  calling  out  to  them,  "One 
charge  more,  and  we  recover  the  day !"  But  the  day  was  too  far 
lost  to  be  regained.  Cromwell  gained  a  complete  victory;  and 
Charles  was  obliged  to  abandon  his  artillery  and  baggage  to  the 
enemy.  Amongst  other  things  which  fell  into  their  hands  was  a 
cabinet,  containing  copies  of  the  king's  private  letters  to  the  queen, 
which  the  parliament  published. 

5.  After  the  battle  of  Naseby,  the  king's  affairs  went  fast  to  ruin. 
At  length  his  condition  became  so  desperate,  that  there  seemed  to  be 
no  alternative  but  to  wait  and  be  taken  prisoner  by  the  army  of  the 
triumphant  parliament,  or  to  throw  himself  upon  the  tender  mercies 
of  an  army  of  Scots,  who  were  engaged  in  the  cause  of  the  paflia- 
ment.  He  chose  the  latter,  and  accordingly  set  out  one  night  in 
the  beginning  of  May,  1646,  disguised  as  the  servant  of  Mr.  Ash- 
burnham,  who  accompanied  him.     He  reached  the  camp  in  safety. 

6.  The  Scottish  generals  were  much  surprised  to  see  the  king; 
and  though  they  affected  to  treat  him  with  great  resi)ect,  they  placed 
a  guard  upon  him,  and  made  him  in  reality  a  prisoner.  The  preach- 
ers did  not  restrain  their  zeal,  but  insulted  him  to  his  face.  One  of 
these  fanatics,  in  a  sermon  preached  before  the  king,  reproached 
him  severely,  and  ordered  the  fifty-second  psalm  to  be  sung : 

"Why  dost  thou,  tyrant,  boast  thyself, 
Thy  wicked  deeds  to  praise?" 

On  this  the  king  stood  up,  and,  with  a  dignity  and  meekness  that 

CLXX.— 1.  What  change  in  the  command  of  the  army?  2.  What  resulted  from  this 
change?  What  battle  decided  the  contest?  5.  What  became  of  tlie  king  after  th« 
hattJe?     6.  How  was  '.?  treated  by  the  Scots?    7.  What  negotiation  botweeu  the  parlia 


SEIZURE   OF    CHARLES   BY   THE   ARMY. 1647.  315 

touched  even  the  rigid  enthusiasts,  called  for  the  fifty-sixth  psalm 
in  turn : 

"Have  mercy,  Lord,  on  me,  I  pray. 
For  men  would  me  devour  !" 

which  was  sung  accordingly. 

7.  The  king  was  now  obliged  to  issue  orders  for  all  his  troops  to 
submit.  The  Marquis  of  Worcester,  who  was  above  eighty-four 
years  of  age,  held  out  his  castle  of  Rayland  till  it  was  reduced  to 
the  utmost  extremity,  and  was  the  last  man  in  England  who  laid 
down  his  arms.  As  soon  as  the  parliament  knew  that  the  king  was 
in  the  hands  of  the  Scots,  it  began  to  treat  with  them  for  the  pos- 
session of  his  pei-son.  The  Scots  finally  agreed  to  surrender  him, 
upon  receiving  400,000  pounds  sterling,  which  was  due  to  them,  as 
pay. 

8.  A  private  letter,  giving  information  of  the  bargain,  was  brought 
to  Charles  while  he  was  playing  at  chess ;  and  his  self-command 
was  so  great,  that  he  continued  his  game  without  betraying,  by  his 
countenance  or  manner,  that  he  had  received  any  distressing  news. 
In  a  few  days  he  was  given  up  to  commissioners,  appointed  by  par- 
liament, from  whom  he  selected  Mr.  Herbert  and  Mr.  Harrington, 
to  attend  upon  him  in  the  place  of  his  own  servants,  who  had  been 
dismissed. 

9.  The  war  being  at  an  end,  the  parliament  was  desirous  of  dis- 
banding the  army ;  but  the  officers  and  soldiers  found  it  more  for 
their  interest  to  remain  together.  Cromwell  continued  at  his  place 
in  parliament,  but  secretly  kept  up  his  correspondence  with  the  dis- 
affected troops,  and  by  his  advice  they  formed  the  bold  design  of 
taking  possession  of  the  king's  person.  An  officer  named  Joyce 
was  sent  with  five  hundred  men  to  seize  him.  This  man,  armed 
with  pistols,  made  his  way  into  the  king's  presence,  and  told  him 
that  he  must  come  along  with  him. 

10.  The  king  asked  by  what  warrant  he  acted,  and  Joyce  answered 
by  pointing  to  his  soldiers,  who  were  a  fine  body  of  men,  drawn  up 
in  the  court-yard.  The  king  said,  smiling,  "  Your  warrant  is  indeed 
written  in  fair  characters  and  legible,"  and  immediately  accom- 
panied him  to  the  head-quarters  of  the  army. 

11.  The  parliament  were  thrown  into  the  utmost  consternation 
when  they  heard  of  this,  and  beginning  to  see  through  Cromwell's 
designs,  resolved  to  commit  him  to  the  Tower ;  but  he  eluded  their 
purpose,  and  hastened  to  the  army,  where  he  was  received  with  ac- 
clamations of  joy.  A  body  of  troops  was  sent  to  London,  and  both 
the  city  and  the  parliament  were  subjected  to  the  authority  of  Crom- 
well, who  now  became  the  acknowledged  chief  of  his  party. 

ment  and  the  Scots?  *.  What  instance  of  Charles'  self-command  ?  What  was  done  with 
him?  9.  What  of  th«  troops?  What  design  was  formed?  By  whom  executed?  11 
What  of  Crom well? 


316  CHARLES   ATTEMPTS   TO   ESCAPE. — 1647. 


CHAPTER   CLXXI. 

Cromwell  discovers  the  Insincerity  of  the  King. —  The  latter  attempts  to 
escape,  but  is  detained  in  the  Isle  of  Wight, — His  manner  of  Life 
there. —  Colonel  Pride's  Purge. 

1.  The  situation  of  the  king  was  now  more  comfortable  than  it 
had  been  for  some  time.  He  was  allowed  to  worship  God  according 
to  the  forms  of  his  own  faith ;  and  he  frequently  had  the  happiness 
of  seeing  two  of  his  children,  Henry  and  Elizabeth.  Cromwell,  who 
was  present  at  one  of  these  interviews,  confessed  that  he  had  never 
witnessed  such  a  touching  scene.  It  is  said  that  Cromwell  at  this 
time  was  ready  to  come  to  terms  with  the  king,  but  that  the  discovery 
of  his  insincerity  and  double  dealing,  a  proneness  to  which  was  the 
greatest  defect  in  Charles'  character,  made  him  abandon  all  thoughts 
of  it. 

2.  It  will  be  remembered  that  there  were  two  powerful  bodies, 
the  army,  with  Cromwell  at  its  head,  who  were  supported  by  the 
independents,  and  the  more  moderate  party  of  Presbyterians,  who 
had  a  majority  in  the  parliament,  and  who  were  in  correspondence 
with  their  religious  brethren  in  Scotland.  One  day  Cromwell  re- 
ceived information  that  the  king,  contrary  to  his  professions,  had 
secretly  made  an  arrangement  with  his  political  opponents,  and  that 
he  and  the  other  leaders  of  the  independents  were  doomed  to  de- 
struction. 

3.  He  also  received  information  that  Charles  had  written  a  letter 
to  his  wife,  giving  the  details  of  the  plan ;  and  that  this  letter  would 
be  sewed  up  in  the  flap  of  a  saddle,  which  would  be  brought,  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  to  a  certain  inn  at  London,  by  a  man  who  would 
saddle  a  horse  and  ride  off  to  Dover.  Upon  this  information,  Crom- 
well, with  another  leader  of  his  party,  named  Ireton,  went  on  the 
appointed  night  to  this  inn,  disguised  as  troopers.  They  left  some 
person  to  keep  watch  at  the  stable,  who  was  to  tell  them  if  any  man 
came  with  a  saddle,  and  they  themselves  went  into  the  house,  and 
sat-drinking  beer  like  common  soldiers. 

"  4.  At  the  specified  hour  they  had  notice  that  the  man  was  come. 
They  then  went  out,  and  taking  the  saddle  away  from  him,  opened 
the  lining,  and  found  the  letter.  They  then  returned  the  man  his 
saddle,  and  he,  knowing  nothing  of  his  loss,  pursued  his  way  to 
Dover.  The  letter  confirmed  the  information  which  Cromwell  had 
before  received,  as  to  the  intentions  of  the  king,  and  from  that  hour 
he  vowed  his  destruction. 

5.  Charles  lived  in  constant  apprehension  of  being  murdered  by 
some  of  the  religious  fanatics,  and  his  fears  at  length  drove  him  to 
attempt  his  escape  from  the  country.  He  reached  the  coast  of 
Hampshire  in  safety,  but  his  usual  fortune  attended  him ;  for  the 

CLXXI.— 1.  What  of  tho  king's  condition?  2,  3,  4.  Relate  the  anecdote  of  the  king's 
double-dealing.    5.  Relate  the  ]   rticuiars  of  the  king's  attempt  to  escape.    Where  was 


COLONEL    pride's   PURGE. 1 048,  317 

vessel  which  he  expected  to  find  there  had  not  arrived.  He  then 
sought  refuge  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  which  was  held  for  the  parlia- 
ment by  Colonel  Hammond.  Here  he  was  once  more  made  a  pris- 
oner, and  on  being  placed  in  close  confinement  in  Carisbrook  Castle, 
Herbert  and  Harrington  alone  were  allowed  to  attend  upon  him. 

6.  Colonel  Hammond  behaved  with  great  feeling  towards  his 
royal  prisoner,  and  allowed  him  every  indulgence  in  his  power. 
He  caused  a  bowling-green  to  be  prepared  outside  the  castle,  and 
built  a  summer-house  upon  it.  Bowling  was  one  of  Charles'  favor- 
ite amusements;  and  he  could  enjoy  from  the  summer-house  a 
better  view  of  the  sea,  than  from  the  melancholy  walls  of  his 
prison.  A  part^  of  the  day  the  king  always  set  aside  for  his  devo- 
tions, and  he  spent  much  of  his  time  alone  writing  in  his  chamber. 

7.  The  rest  of  the  day  he  employed  in  reading,  in  exercise,  and 
in  conversing  with  his  two  attendants,  who  were  both  of  them  ac- 
complished men,  particularly  Mr.  Herbert,  who  had  travelled  much 
in  Persia  and  other  countries  of  the  East.  The  zeal  of  the  puritan 
preachers  brought  some  of  them  to  Carisbrook,  with  the  intention 
of  preaching  before  the  king ;  but  he  civilly  declined  hearing  their 
sermons. 

8.  In  September,  1648,  he  entered  into  a  new  treaty  with  com- 
missioners sent  by  parliament,  which  had  for  a  time  recovered 
some  of  its  authority.  When  the  king  met  the  commissioners,  an 
affecting  change  was  perceived  to  have  taken  place  in  his  aspect 
since  the  preceding  year.  His  countenance  was  pale  and  dejected ; 
his  hair  was  turned  white,  and  it  brought  tears  into  the  eyes  of  the 
spectators,  to  see  his  "  gray  and  discrowned  head."  These  words 
are  from  a  sonnet  which  he  composed  about  this  time. 

9.  The  treaty  was  seemingly  drawing  to  a  favorable  conclusion, 
when  Cromwell,  by  one  daring  act,  annihilated  the  power  of  par- 
liament, and  destroyed  all  Charles'  hopes  of  security.  On  the  7th 
of  Qecember,  1648,  he  sent  Colonel  Pride  with  a  body  of  troops  to 
summon  the  parliament-house,  a  little  before  the  time  when  the 
members  were  to  assemble,  with  orders  to  exclude  all  who  did  not 
belong  to  the  independent  and  republican  party. 

10.  Those  who  were  disposed  to  make  merry  wdth  this  dethroning 
of  a  portion  of  those  who  had  dethroned  the  king,  gave  to  this  ex- 
clusion the  name  of  Colonel  Pride  s  purge,  by  which  it  is  at  this 
day  commonly  known.  Those  members  of  parliament  who  were 
admitted,  about  fifty  or  sixty  in  number,  immediately  appointed 
themselves  governors  of  the  kingdom,  and  declared  that  no  further 
negotiations  should  be  had  with  the  king. 

he  afterwards  confined?  6,  7.  IIow  did  lie  spend  his  time?  8.  When  were  negotiations 
renewed  with  the  i)arliament?  9.  What  put  an  end  to  the  power  of  the  parliament? 
W^hen?     In  wliat  manner? 

27  * 


318 


HURST   CASTLE. — 1648. 


CHAPTER  CLXXII. 

Charles  is  tried  for  High  Treason. — His  Execution. 


TRIAL  OF  CHARLES  I. 

1.  Before  his  attack  on  the  parliament,  Cromwell  had  secured 
the  possession  of  the  king's  person ;  for,  two  days  before  that  jowr^- 
ing,  Charles  had  been  removed  by  his  orders  to  Hurst  Castle,  a 
dreary  fortress  on  the  coast  of  Hampshire,  one  of  the  countigs  of 
England,  and  which,  at  high  tide,  was  nearly  surrounded  by  the 
sea.  In  this  melancholy  place  the  king  passed  nearly  a  month. 
The  room  he  generally  sat  in  was  so  dark  as  to  require  candles  at 
noonday,  and  his  only  recreation  was  in  walking  up  and  down  the 
narrow  sand-bank  that  connected  the  castle  with  the  mainland, 
and  in  watching  the  ships  that  sailed  past  his  prison. 

2.  Charles  supposed  that  he  had  been  brought  to  this  lonely  place 
for  the  purpose  of  being  murdered,  and  lived  in  the  full  expectation 
that  each  day  would  be  his  last.  One  night  he  was  waked  from 
his  sleep  by  hearing  the  drawbridge  of  the  castle  let  down,  and 
soon  after  he  heard  the  clatter  of  horsemen  in  the  court.  His 
alarm  was  not  lessened  when  he  learned  that  Major  Harrison  had 
arri^'^d,  for  he  had  been  warned  that  this  person  was  one  of  those 
who  intended  to  kill  him. 

3.  He  was  soon  informed,  however,  that  the  object  of  the  major's 
coming  was  to  convey  him  to  Windsor,  and  he  was  not  sorry  to  leave 
Hurst  Castle,  even   under  such   an  escort.     Though  Charles  had 


CLXXII. — 1.  To  what  place  was  Charles  removed  by  Cromwell  ?    3.  "What  was  the 


TKIAL    OF   CHARLES   FOK    HIGH    TKEASON. 1649.        319 

lived  in  the  daily  expectation  of  a  violent  death,  it  had  not  occurred 
to  his  mind  that  he,  a  king,  could  be  accused  and  brought  to  trial  as 
a  criminal,  by  his  own  subjects;  an  indignity  which  royalty  till  then 
had  never  suffered.  He  was  not  prepared,  therefore,  for  the  informa- 
tion, that,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1649,  an  accusation,  or,  as  it  is 
called,  an  impeachment,  of  high  treason  had  been  brought  against 
him,  for  having  presumed  to  appear  in  arms  against  the  parliament. 

4.  On  the  18th  of  January,  Charles  was  removed  from  Windsor 
to  th''-;  royal  palace  in  London,  called  St.  James^  Palace.  This  was, 
until  ^uite  recently,  the  residence  of  the  sovereigns  of  Great  Britain, 
and  is  still  made  use  of  upon  state  occasions;  whence  the  name, 
Court  of  St.  James,  frequently  applied  to  the  British  government. 
Charles  was  now  treated  with  more  severity ;  his  guards  and  attend- 
ants were  ordered  to  conduct  towards  him  as  being  no  longer  a 
sovereign,  and  to  call  him  merely  Charles  Stuart.  His  ow^n  servants 
were  not  permitted  to  wait  on  him  at  table,  and  common  soldiers, 
in  their  armor,  were  appointed  to  bring  him  his  meals. 

5.  Charles  was  much  shocked  at  this  disrespect,  but,  soon  re- 
covering his  composure,  said,  "Nothing  is  so  contemptible  as  a 
despised  king ;"  and,  to  avoid  the  disagreeable  attendance  of  the 
soldiers,  ate  alone  in  his  bed-chamber.  The  preparations  for  the 
trial  were  soon  made,  and  on  the  20th  of  January,  1649,  the  judges 
assembled  in  Westminster  Hall  for  that  purpose.  The  names  w^ere 
called  over,  and  on  the  name  of  Fairfax  being  spoken,  a  voice  from 
among  the  spectators  called  out,  "He  has  more  wit  than  to  be 
here;"  and  when,  in  the  articles  of  impeachment,  the  king  was 
said  to  be  accused  "in  the  name  of  the  people  of  England,"  the 
same  voice  exclaimed,  "  Not  a  tenth  part  of  them !" 

6.  The  soldiers  were  ordered  to  fire  at  the  sj^ot  from  whence  the 
voice  had  proceeded;  but  on  its  being  discovered  tliat  Lady  Fair- 
fax was  the  speaker,  they,  in  consideration  of  her  sex  and  rank,  did 
notifire.  Lady  Fairfax  had  been  a  warm  politician,  and  had  urged 
her  husband  to  oppose  the  king ;  but  now,  seeing  that  the  struggle 
was  likely  to  end  in  his  sacrifice,  and  the  exaltation  of  Cromwell, 
they  both  heartily  repented  of  the  part  they  had  taken.  On  the 
27th  of  January,  Charles  was  declared  guilty  of  having  appeared  in 
arms  against  the  parliament,  and  sentenced  to  be  beheaded  on  the 
third  day  after. 

7.  As  he  passed  along  the  streets,  the  soldiers  uttered  the  most 
insulting  and  unfeeling  cries.  Some  even  spit  upon  him ;  but  one 
uttered  a  blessing,  for  which  his  officer  struck  him  to  the  ground. 
The  king,  observing  it,  said,  "The  punishment,  methinks,  exceeds 
the  offence."  On  the  day  preceding  that  fixed  for  his  execution,  he 
was  permitted  to  see  his  son  Henry  and  daughter  Elizabeth  ;  of  the 
rest  of  his  children,  two  were  in  Holland,  and  one,  Henrietta,  in 
France. 

8.  Henry  was  only  seven  years  old,  and  his  father  said  to  him,  as 
he  sat  upon  his  knee,  "  Mark,  my  child,  what  I  say :  they  will  cut 

next  step  adopted  by  his  enemies?  4.  What  treatment  did  ho  now  receive?  5.  ITow 
did  he  bear  it?    What  occurred  at  his  trial?    8    What  occurred  at  his  interview  witli 


320 


EXECUTION    OF   THE   KING. — 1649. 


off  ray  head,  and  will  want,  perhaps,  to  make  thee  king ;  but  thou 
must  not  be  king,  so  long  as  thy  brothers  Charles  and  James  are 
alive :  therefore,  I  charge  thee,  do  not  be  made  a  king  by  them." 
The  child  looked  earnestly  in  his  father's  face,  and  exclaimed,  "I 
will  be  torn  in  pieces  first !" — an  answer  that  made  the  king  shed 
tears. 


CHARLES  I.  TAKING  LEAVE  OF  HIS  FAMILY. 

9.  On  the  30th  of  January,  1649,  Charles  was  led,  through  an 
opening  made  in  the  wall  of  the  banqueting-room  of  the  palace  of 
Whitehall,  to  a  scaffold  erected  in  front  of  that  building.  He  ad- 
dressed a  few  words  to  those  about  him  ;  he  declared  himself  inno- 
cent towards  his  people;  but  acknowledged  that  the  execution  of 
an  unjust  sentence  was  now  deservedly  punished  by  an  unjust  sen- 
tence inflicted  on  himself;  so  heavily  did  the  death  of  Strafford 
still  press  upon  his  heart.  Turning  to  Bishop  Juxon,  who  attended 
him,  he  said,  "  Remember ^^  and  then  laid  his  head  upon  the  block. 
One  blow  severed  it  from  the  body,  and  the  executioner,  holding  it 
up,  said,  "  This  is  the  head  of  a  traitor !" 

10.  Those  present  were  curious,  as  the  reader  may  be,  to  know 
what  the  king  meant  by  the  word  "  Eemember,"  and  called  upon 
Juxon  to  explain  it.  He  said  that  it  was  meant  to  enforce  the 
king's  earnest  injunction,  that  he  would  exhort  the  prince,  his  son, 
to  forgive  his  father's  murderers.  Charles  was  in  the  forty-ninth 
year  of  his  age,  and  the  twenty-fifth  of  his  reign.  It  will  be  less  in- 
terruption to  our  story  to  state  at  once  what  became  of  his  family. 
The  queen  lived  in  France,  uncomfortably  enough,  on  a  pension 
allowed  her  by  Louis  XIV.,  who  was  her  nephew. 

11.  This  pension  must  have  been  very  small,  or  ill  paid,  as 
her  daughter,  Henrietta,  was  at  one  time  obliged  to  remain  in  bed 


bis  children?    9.  When  was  he  executed?    Relate  the  particulars  of  his  execution. 


FAMILY    OF    CHARLES    I. 


321 


for  want  of  fuel  to  make  a  fire.  When  Prince  Charles,  her  son, 
became  King  of  England,  as  you  shall  hear  presei  tly,  the  queen  re- 
turned to  England  ;  but  she  interfered  so  much  in  public  affairs,  that 
her  son  was  obliged  to  send  her  back  to  France,  where  she  died  in 
1669.  Prince  Charles  was  eighteen  years  old  when  his  father  died, 
and  of  him,  and  his  brother  James  and  sister  Mary,  we  shall  here- 
after have  more  to  say. 

i 


KXECUTION    OF  CilAKLKS    I. 


12.  The  parliament  wished  to  bring  Prince  Henry  up  to  some 
mechanical  trade;  but  Cromwell  sent  him  abroad  to  his  mother. 
He  died  at  an  early  age,  leaving  an  excellent  character  behind  him. 
The  Princess  Elizabeth  was  to  have  been  apprenticed  to  a  button- 
maker  ;  but  her  death,  caused,  it  is  said,  by  grief  for  her  father's 
fate,  prevented  the  execution  of  the  intention.  The  Princess  Hen- 
rietta' was  unfortunate  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  her  life. 

13.  She  was  born  after  the  commencement  of  the  civil  war,  and 
brought  up  at  the  dissipated  court  of  Louis  XIV.,  of  France.  She 
married  that  king's  brother,  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  and  behaved  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  give  him  just  displeasure ;  she  died  suddenly, 
in  the  pride  of  youth  and  beauty,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
poisoned  by  her  husband.  Plow  enviable  was  the  fate  of  a  little 
sister  compared  with  hers ! 


10.  How  old  was  he' 
king's  children  ? 


What  became  of  the  queen?     12,  13,  14.  What  became  c/  the 


322  ANECDOTES    OF    CHARLES   I. 

14.  This  little  princess,  being  only  four  years  old,  lay  upon  hei 
death-bed.  One  of  her  attendants  desired  her  to  pray.  She  said 
she  could  not  say  her  long  prayer,  meaning  the  Lord's  prayer,  but 
that  she  would  try  to  say  her  short  one:  "Lighten  my  darkness,  O 
Lord  I  and  let  me  not  sleep  the  sleep  of  death."  She  then  laid  hei 
little  head  on  the  pillow  and  expired. 

FAMILY   OF   CHARLES   I. 

WIFE. 

Henrietta  Maria,  daughter  of  Henry  IV.,  called  the  Great,  King  of  France. 

CHILDREN. 

1.  Charles.  Prince  of  "Wales,  ]     ^i.  j    t--  r  -n     i      j  • 

3.  James,  Duke  of  York,        }  ^^^erwards  Kings  of  England  in  succession. 

6.  Henry,  Duke  of  Gloucester. 

2.  Mary,  who  married  the  Prince  of  Orange. 

4.  Elizabeth,  who  died  young. 

6.  Anna,  who  died  before  her  father's  death. 

7.  Henrietta,  Duchess  of  Orleans. 


CHAPTEE    CLXXIII. 

Anecdotes  of  Charles  I. —  The  Icon  Basilike. — Inigo  Jones. —  The  Public 
Buildings  mutilated  by  the  Puritans. —  William  Harvey. — The  Sect 
of  Quakers  rises. 

1.  The  late  king  had  many  well-wishers  and  warm  friends,  but 
these  were,  in  general,  helpless  people,  or  persons  who  had  already 
exhausted  all  their  means  in  his  cause.  But  they  took  various 
methods  of  making  known  the  sympathy  which  they  felt  for  him  in 
his  misfortunes,  and,  at  the  risk  of  being  punished  by  the  parlia- 
ment, showed  him  many  little  acts  of  kindness. 

2.  As  he  was  on  his  way  to  his  prison  at  Carisbrook  Castle,  one 
day  in  November,  a  lady  presented  him  with  a  damask  rose,  which 
had  blown  in  her  garden  at  that  unusual  season.  The  gift,  to  be 
iure,  was  nothing  in  itself,  but,  as  showing  the  feelings  of  the  giver, 
was  of  great  value  to  the  poor  prisoner.  The  day  before  his  execu- 
tion, one  of  his  old  servants  sent  his  humble  duty  to  him,  and  begged 
he  would  read  the  second  chapter  of  Ecclesiastes.  The  king  sent 
his  thanks  to  the  good  old  man  for  his  kind  remembrance  of  him, 
and  immediately  read  the  chapter  with  much  satisfaction.  He  was 
in  the  habit  of  reading  the  Bible  every  day,  and  found  in  it  his  best 
support  and  consolation  in  his  afflictions. 

3.  A  few  days  after  the  death  of  Charles,  a  book  was  published 
called  Icon  Basilike,  or,  as  these  words  have  been  rendered,  "  The 
king's  portraiture  in  his  solitudes  and  his  sufferings."  This  book  pur- 
ports to  have  been  written  by  the  king,  and  so  general  was  the  belief 

CLXXIII.— 1,  2.  What  of  the  king's  friends?     What  of  the  Icon  Basilike?     Whal 


MUTILATION    OF   THE   PUBLIC    BUILDINGS. — 1649.        328 

that  it  passed  through  fifty  editions  in  one  year.  The  authorship  of 
this  book  is  still  a  matter  of  dispute ;  but  most  persons  suppose  the 
real  author  to  have  been  Dr.  Gauden,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Exeter. 

4.  Charles  was  fond  of  literature,  and  was  found  fault  with  by 
some  for  paying  more  attention  to  style  in  writing  than  was  proper 
for  a  great  monarch.  He  was  also  a  lover  of  pictures,  and  some- 
times handled  the  pencil  himself.  The  pieces  of  foreign  masters 
were  bought  up  at  a  vast  price ;  and  the  value  of  pictures  doubled 
in  Europe  in  consequence  of  the  rivalry  of  Charles  and  Philip  IV. 
of  Spain  to  possess  themselves  of  the  best.  All  the  king's  pictures 
were  sold  by  order  of  parliament,  who  carried  their  hatred  of  royalty 
to  such  a  length  as  to  cause  some  of  the  royal  palaces  to  be  pulled 
in  pieces,  and  the  materials  to  be  sold. 

5.  Many  of  these  palaces  had  been  built  or  improved  by  Inigo 
Jones,  a  celebrated  architect,  much  favored  by  Charles  and  by  his 
father.  Jones  incurred  the  displeasure  of  parliament  by  his  fidelity 
to  his  royal  master,  and  for  having,  in  rebuilding  the  great  church 
of  St.  Paul's  in  London,  pulled  down  some  houses  to  make  room  for 
it,  in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  government.  The  Puritans  con- 
sidered these  great  churches  and  cathedrals  as  remnants  of  Popery, 
and  took  especial  delight  in  destroying  and  disfiguring  them. 

6.  The  beautiful  painted  glass  in  the  windows,  the  statues  of  the 
saints  on  the  outside,  and  even  the  monuments  of  the  dead,  were 
destroyed.  The  lead  was  stripped  from  the  roofs,  and  the  brass 
plates  from  the  tombs,  and  used  for  making  bullets  and  cannon. 
Many  of  the  cathedrals  were  used  as  barracks.  In  Chichester 
Cathedral,  the  place  is  pointed  out  where  Cromwell's  soldiers 
littered  down  their  horses.  The  king's  library  at  St.  James' 
palace  was  saved  by  the  prudence  of  John  Selden,  a  distin- 
guished scholar  and  philosopher,  one  of  the  liberal  party  in  poli- 
tics, though  opposed  to  the  extreme  measures  of  his  friends. 

7.  Most  of  the  men  of  genius  and  ability  who  lived  at  this  time 
were  on  the  side  of  the  parliament.  But  William  Harvey,  who  dis- 
covered the  circulation  of  the  blood  and  the  proper  office  of  the  heart 
in  animals,  was  the  king's  physician,  and  the  king  took  much  interest 
in  his  investigations.  This  important  discovery  occasioned  a  great 
loss  of  practice  to  its  author.  So  absurd  did  the  doctrine  appear, 
which  now  seems  so  clear  that  it  is  absurd  to  doubt  its  truth. 

8.  The  patience  and  resignation  with  which  Charles  bore  his  mis- 
fortunes excite  our  sympathy,  but  should  not  prevent  our  doing 
justice  to  the  motives  and  character  of  his  opponents.  Many,  if  not 
most,  of  the  leaders  were  actuated  by  the  most  conscientious  regard 
for  the  public  good,  without  any  personal  feelings  of  selfishness  or 
ambition.  In  private  life,  the  members  of  this  party  were,  on  the 
whole,  far  more  estimable  in  their  conduct  than  the  royalists. 

9.  There  is  one  sect  of  Christians  which  arose  about  this  time, 
whose  pure  morals  and  peaceful  lives  make  them  worthy  of  regard. 


of  Cbfirles'  taste  for  loaniing  and  tlie  arts?  5.  What  of  Inigo  Jones?  6.  How  were  the 
imhlic  edifices  treated  by  tiio  puritans?  Who  wivwd  the  royal  library?  7.  What  o*" 
William  llarve^?     9.  What  of  the  Quakers? 


324  ENGLAND   A    COMMONWEALTH. — 1649. 

This  was  the  sect  of  Quakers.  The  founder  was  George  Fox,  whc 
was  born  of  poor  parents,  and  bound  apprentice  to  a  shoemaker.  He 
was  never  a  student  of  books,  but  the  great  success  of  his  preaching 
is  a  proof  that  he  had  studied  human  nature  to  some  purpose. 


CHAPTER  CLXXIV. 

England  a  Commonwealth. — Incident  connected  with  the  Siege  of  Pon- 
tefract  Castle. — The  Scots  invite  Prince  Charles  to  be  their  King. — 
They  are  defeated  at  Dunbar  by  Cromwell. —  Charles  marches  into 
England,  and  is  defeated  at  Worcester. 

1.  The  first  act  of  parliament,  after  the  death  of  the  king,  was  to 
abolish  the  house  of  lords,  as  bein{^  useless  and  dangerous.  A  new 
great  seal  of  England  was  made,  with  this  legend,  as  the  inscription 
on  a  seal  is  called,  **  The  first  year  of  Freedom,  by  God's  blessing, 
restored  1648."  In  1633,  an  equestrian  statue  of  brass  had  been 
erected  in  honor  of  King  Charles.  The  parliament  ordered  this, 
which  was  the  first  equestrian  statue  set  up  in  England,  to  be 
broken  in  pieces  and  sold  for  old  brass.  The  state,  under  its  new 
form  of  government,  was  called  The  Commonwealth  of  England. 

2.  It  was  made  high  treason,  v/hich  is  the  highest  crime  against 
any  government,  to  call  Prince  Charles  by  any  other  name  than 
Charles  Stuart.  But  some  of  his  friends  had  the  courage  to  print 
and  distribute  a  paper  proclaiming  him  King  of  England.  Small 
bands  of  the  royalists  still  maintained  themselves  in  different  parts 
of  the  country,  chiefly  in  the  fortified  castles.  These  were  all  sub- 
dued, and  the  castles,  for  the  most  part,  destroyed,  to  prevent  their 
again  becoming  a  source  of  annoyance.  There  is  quite  a  romantic 
story  told  about  the  final  capture  and  destruction  of  one  of  these. 

3.  Pontefract  Castle  had  been  taken  and  retaken  more  than  once 
during  the  war,  and  in  1649  was  held  by  a  party  of  Nottingham- 
shire gentlemen,  who  valiantly  defended  themselves.  Cromwell 
himself  had  gone  to  Ireland,  from  which  quarter  the  English  had 
reason  to  apprehend  the  most  danger,  since  the  Irish  were  almost 
all  royalists.  He  therefore  sent  Lambert,  one  of  his  generals,  to 
reduce  Pontefract  Castle.  The  garrison  were  soon  obliged  to  solicit 
terms ;  and  Lambert  agreed  that,  on  giving  up  the  castle,  all  the 
garrison  should  have  leave  to  depart  in  safety,  six  persons  ex- 
cepted, whose  names  he  mentioned,  who,  having  been  particularly 
active  against  the  parliament,  must  be  put  to  death. 

4.  The  garrison  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  giving  up  any  of 
their  brother  soldiers  to  certain  destruction,  and  demanded  of  Lambert 
that  they  might  have  six  days  allowed  them  before  they  surrendered 

CLXXIV.— 1.  What  did  parliament  do  after  the  king's  death?  What  was  the  state 
tailed?    What  of   the  royalists?    3.  What  of  Pontefract  Castle?     7.  Who  supported 


BATTLE    OF    DUNBAR. 1660.  325 

the  castle ;  during  which  it  should  be  permitted  for  their  six  com- 
panions to  use  any  honorable  means  of  making  their  escape.  Lam- 
bert granted  their  desire,  saying  that  he  knew  these  six  persons  to 
be  brave  and  gallant  gentlemen,  and  that,  if  he  might,  he  would 
gladly  save  them  all. 

5.  During  the  first  four  days  the  garrison  made  frequent  sallies, 
and  four  of  the  six  contrived  to  effect  their  escape.  Sir  Hugh 
Cartwright  and  one  other  remained  behind ;  and  they,  being  un- 
willing to  expose  any  more  of  the  lives  of  their  friends,  contrived 
another  way  of  saving  themselves.  They  found  a  convenient 
nook  amongst  the  walls,  where  they  caused  themselves  to  be 
walled  up  with  a  month's  provisions,  trusting  to  the  hope  that  the 
king's  troops  would  retake  the  castle  in  that  time. 

6.  The  rest  of  the  garrison  then  sent  word  to  Lambert  that  they 
were  ready  to  surrender.  When  they  had  left  the  castle,  Lambert, 
luckily  for  the  two  immured  heroes,  destroyed  the  castle,  and  left 
the  place  in  ruins.  Sir  Hugh  and  his  companion,  after  ten  days, 
finding  all  quiet,  left  their  hiding-place,  and  made  their  escape. 

7.  It  might  naturally  be  expected  that  the  Irish,  who  were  for 
the  most  part  Roman  Catholics,  should  be  opposed  to  the  parlia- 
ment; but  this  body  was  also  opposed  to  the  Scottish  Presbyterians, 
who  refused  to  acknowledge  the  English  republic,  and,  resolving 
to  adhere  to  the  monarchy,  invited  Charles  to  take  possession  of  the 
throne ;  but  upon  such  hard  conditions  that  his  best  friends  coun- 
selled him  not  to  make  such  sacrifices  for  the  empty  title  of  king. 
But  Charles,  who  entertained,  probably,  the  dishonest  intention  of 
breaking  his  promise  as  soon  as  his  power  was  established,  agreed 
to  everything,  and  went  to  Scotland. 

8.  He  found  his  situation  in  that  country  comfortless  enough. 
He  was  treated  with  none  of  the  respect  usually  paid  to  a  sov- 
ereign, and  was,  indeed,  little  better  than  a  helpless  prisoner  in 
the  hands  of  merciless  tormentors.  He  was  naturally  of  a  lively 
disposition,  and  delighted  only  in  gayety ;  but  he  was  not  allowed 
to  enter  into  any  kind  of  amusements,  and  was  harassed  from  morn- 
ing till  night  by  the  covenanters,  who  sought,  by  dint  of  sermons 
and  exhortations,  to  convert  him  to  their  faith. 

9.  Under  these  circumstances,  he  was  secretly  rejoiced  to  learn 
that  Cromwell,  who  in  a  few  months  had  reduced  Ireland  to  sub- 
jection, was  now  advancing  with  a  powerful  army  to  drive  him 
from  his  uneasy  throne.  Cromwell  posted  himself  at  Dunbar, 
where  he  was  attacked  on  September  3d,  1650,  by  the  Scots  under 
General  Le!>]ie.  Though  twice  as  numerous  as  the  English,  these 
met  with  a  terrible  defeat,  and  Cromwell  would  soon  have  made 
himself  entire  master  of  the  kingdom,  had  he  not  been  attacked 
with  a  violent  fit  of  illness,  and  obliged  to  return  to  England. 

10.  But  the  next  year  he  again  entered  Scotland,  and  advanced 
so  far  into  the  country  as  to  leave  the  army  of  the  royalists  between 
himself  and  England.    Charles,  seeing  the  road  to  England  open, 

the  rights  of  Prince  Charles?  8.  What  of  Charles'  situation  in  Scotland?  9.  When  and 
where  was  the  battle  betwePQ  the  Scots  and  English  fought  ?     10.  What  bold  project  did 

28 


326       DEFEAT    OF    THE    ROYALISTS    AT    WORCESTER. 1661. 

formed  the  bold  resolution  of  marching  forward  into  that  country^ 
believing  that  he  should  there  be  joined  by  all  his  friends.  But  he 
was  deceived  in  this  hope,  and  he  arrived  at  Worcester  with  only 
his  14,000  Scots. 

11.  Cromwell,  when  he  found  that  Charles  had  slipped  by  him, 
left  his  army  in  Scotland  under  the  command  of  General  Monk, 
and  followed  him  with  all  possible  expedition,  calling  upon  the 
people  of  the  country  through  which  he  passed  to  join  him  in  re- 
pelling the  invaders.  The  call  was  promptly  obeyed,  so  that  by  the 
time  he  reached  Worcester  he  mustered  a  considerable  force.  The 
next  day,  September  3d,  1651,  he  surrounded  the  town  with  his 
troops,  and,  attacking  the  royal  army,  soon  destroyed  it. 


CHAPTER  CLXXV. 

Adventures  of  Charles  after  the  Battle  of  Worcester, 


KING  CHAKI.ES  IN  THE  OAK. 


1.  After  a  desperate  resistance,  Charles  was  forced  to  seek 
safety  in  flight,  and  he  did  not  stop  till  he  reached  Whiteladies,  a 
house  twenty-six  miles  from  Worcester,  on  the  borders  of  Shrop- 


Charles  form?     11.  What  did  Cromwell  do?     When   and  where  were   Charles'   troopj 
lefeated? 


ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES    II. 1651.  327 

shire  and  Staffordshire,  and  occupied  by  a  staunch  royalist  named 
George  Penderill.  The  prince  met  with  a  most  kind  reception ;  but 
it  was  thought  that  he  would  be  safer  at  a  place  called  Boscobel^ 
situated  about  a  mile  distant  on  a  wild  hilly  common,  where  lived 
Richard  Penderill,  a  brother  of  George's. 

2.  Richard  was  sent  for,  and  soon  arrived.  What  followed  we 
will  give  in  the  words  of  the  narrative,  which  was  published  in  the 
king's  name  after  his  restoration.  "  Richard  was  no  sooner  come  in 
than  he  was  called  upon  to  make  haste  and  bring  his  best  clothes, 
which  were  a  jump  and  breeches  of  green,  coarse  cloth,  and  a  doe- 
skin leather  doublet ;  the  hat  was  borrowed  of  Humphrey  Penderill 
the  miller,  being  an  old  gray  one,  that  turned  up  its  brims ;  the 
shirt,  which  in  that  country  language  they  called  burden,  of  cloth 
that  is  made  of  the  coarsest  of  the  hemp,  was  had  of  one  Edward 
Martin,  George's  band,  and  William  Creswell's  shoes,  which  the 
king,  having  unstripped  himself  of  his  own  clothes,  did  nimbly  put 
on. 

3.  "  His  buff  coat  and  linen  doublet,  and  a  gay  pair  of  breeches, 
which  he  wore  before,  were  buried  in  the  ground.  The  jewels  off" 
his  arm  he  gave  to  one  of  the  lords  who  attended  him.  Then 
Richard  came  with  a  pair  of  shears  and  rounded  the  king's  hair, 
which  my  Lord  Wilmot  having  before  cut  with  a  knife,  had  un- 
towardly  notched ;  and  the  king  was  pleased  to  take  notice  of  his 
good  barbering,  so  as  to  prefer  his  work  before  my  Lord  Wilmot's ; 
and  now  his  majesty  was  a  la  mode  the  woodman." 

4.  Taking  an  axe  in  his  hand,  Charles  proceeded  to  a  neighboring 
wood,  where  he  passed  the  day  without  being  discovered  by  the 
enemy's  troops,  who  had  come  to  Whiteladies  in  search  of  him.  At 
nightfall  he  went  to  Boscobel,  where  he  ate  a  hearty  supper,  and 
then  started  for  AVales,  whence  he  hoped  to  escape  into  France.  But 
after  one  night  and  day  spent  in  a  barn  at  Madeby,  he  returned  to 
Boscobel.  Here  he  found  Colonel  Careless,  who  had  been  his  com- 
panion in  arms  at  Worcester. 

5.  Being  told  that  it  was  dangerous  for  them  either  to  remain  in 
the  house  or  to  go  again  into  the  wood,  they  both  mounted  into  a 
large  oak.  This  tree  had  been  loj^ped  three  or  four  years  before, 
and  being  grown  out  very  bushy  and  thick,  could  not  be  seen 
through ;  but  the  fugitives  could  see  the  soldiers  passing  backward 
and  forward,  searching  for  them.  Notwithstanding  his  perilous 
situation,  Charles  enjoyed  a  good  nap,  resting  his  head  in  the 
colonel's  laj).  When  he  awoke  he  was  very  hungry,  and  his  friend 
regaled  him  with  some  bread  and  cheese,  which  Penderill's  provident 
dame  had  not  forgotten. 

6.  It  was  not  deemed  safe  for  Charles  to  remain  long  in  one  part 
of  the  country ;  accordingly,  at  night,  on  the  7th  of  September,  he  set 
out  for  Morseby.  His  feet  were  so  bruised  and  galled  that  he  could 
not  walk ;  so  Humphrey,  the  miller,  mounted  him  on  his  mill-horse, 
and  thus  he  made  his  journey  in  safety.     On  the  9th  he  went  to  the 

CLXXV.— 1.  Whither  did  Charles  fly  after  his  defeat  at  Worcester?  2,3,4.  Relato 
what  took  place  while  he  remained  at  Boscobel.    In  what  did  he  find  refuge  during  part 


828  SUCCESSFUL   WAR    WITH    HOLLAND. 1652. 

house  i-if  Colonel  Lane,  a  steady  royalist,  whose  wife,  Mrs.  Jane 
Lane,  had  some  time  before  obtained  permission  from  the  parlia- 
ment's general,  to  proceed  with  a  servant  to  Leigh,  near  Bristol. 

7.  It  was  arranged  that  Charles  should  act  the  servant.  Accord- 
ingly, early  on  the  10th,  having  put  on  a  suit  of  country  gray  cloth, 
and  taking  the  name  of  William  Jackson,  he  set  out  on  horseback, 
with  Mrs.  Lane  on  a  pillion  behind  him.  They  stayed  that  night  at 
the  liouse  of  Mr.  Tombs,  at  Long-Maston.  Will  Jackson,  of  course, 
passed  the  evening  in  the  kitchen.  Tlie  cook,  a  great  rough  coun- 
trywoman, told  him  to  wind  up  the  roasting-jack  for  her. 

8.  This  was  novel  work  for  Charles,  and  he  set  about  his  task  in 
such  a  blundering  way,  that  the  cook  exclaimed  to  him  in  a  passion, 
"  What  countryman  are  you,  that  you  know  not  how  to  wind  up  a 
jack  ""  The  king  answered,  with  all  appearance  of  humility,  that 
he  was  a  poor  Staffordshire  lad ;  that  they  seldom  had  roast  meat  at 
home,  and  that  when  they  had,  they  did  not  make  use  of  a  jack. 

9.  On  the  12th  they  arrived  safely  at  Leigh.  Upon  the  pretence 
that  he  was  sick  of  an  ague,  a  better  chamber  was  provided  for  Will 
Jackson  than  servants  are  usually  treated  with ;  and  some  of  the 
best  meat,  a  matter  about  which  he  seems  to  have  been  by  no  means 
indifferent,  was  sent  to  him  from  the  master's  table. 

10.  We  have  not  space  to  relate  all  Charles'  romantic  adventures 
and  hair-breadth  escapes  between  this  time  and  the  15th  of  October, 
when  he  succeeded  in  embarking  at  Shoreham  in  a  small  vessel,  from 
which  he  was  landed  the  next  day  in  Normandy.  During  his  wan- 
dering he  was  obliged  to  confide  in  a  large  number  of  persons,  both 
of  high  and  low  degree ;  but  not  one  of  them  violated  this  confidence, 
notwithstanding  an  enormous  sum  of  fftoney  was  promised  by  par- 
liament to  any  person  who  would  arrest  him,  and  the  most  severe 
punishment  threatened  to  be  inflicted  upon  all  who  should  assist  in 
concealing  him. 


CHAPTEK    CLXXVI. 

Success  of  the  English  in  a  War  with  Holland. — Cromwell  makes  him- 
self sole  Ruler. — Curious  Names  adopted  by  the  Puritans. 

1.  While  Charles  was  wandering  about,  an  unhappy  fugitive, 
the  party  in  power  went  on  triumphantly.  Monk  was  successful  in 
Scotland ;  Ireton  held  everything  quiet  in  Ireland.  The  fleets  under 
Admirals  Blake  and  Ayscue  kept  oft'  foreign  invaders,  and  reduced 
to  obedience  the  colonies  in  America  and  the  West  Indies.  The 
country  was  now  in  a  condition  to  demand  redress  for  the  injuries 
and  insults  that  had  been  received  from  foreign  states. 

of  the  time?     6.  Relate  the  particulars  of  his  escape  from  Boscobel.    Wnat  happened  V 
him  till  his  fin^l  escape  from  the  couutry? 


VIOLENT   DISSOLUTION   OF   PARLIAMENT. — 1653.         323 

2.  The  demand  was  first  made  upon  Holland,  which,  from  the 
superior  excellence  of  her  ships  and  the  skill  of  her  seamen,  was 
supposed  by  herself  and  other  countries  to  be  invincible  upon  the 
ocean.  But  the  British  navy,  manned  by  sailors  whom  the  circum- 
stances of  the  times  had  made  bold  and  valiant,  and  commanded  by 
the  gallant  Blake,  soon  convinced  them  of  the  contrary.  For,  with 
greatly  inferior  forces,  he  repeatedly  gained  victories  over  the  vet- 
eran admirals  Van  Tromp,  De  Ruyter,  and  De  Witt. 


OKOMWELL  DISSOIiVINQ  THE  PAKLIAMENT. 

3.  But  the  parliament,  who  were  the  nominal  rulers  of  the  coun- 
try, were  entitled  to  no  share  of  the  praise  for  these  successes.  A 
government,  to  be  well  administered,  must  have  one  efficient  head. 
There  were  many  men  of  ability  in  the  parliament,  but  each  had 
his  own  particular  ideas  about  the  best  mode  of  carrying  on  the 
government,  which  he  would  not  surrender. 

4.  Things  could  not  long  continue  in  this  state ;  the  safety  of  all 
required  a  change.  Whilst  they  were  quarrelling  about  the  best 
mode  of  steering,  the  good  ship  of  state  was  in  danger  of  being 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks ;  some  one  man  must  take  possession 
of  the  helm ;  and  who  should  this  be  but  Cromwell,  to  whose  energy 
and  watchfulness  she  had  been  indebted  for  her  prosperous  course 
thus  far  ? 


CLXXVI. — 1.  What  of  the  successes  of  the  parliament?    2.  What  demands  on  foreign 
nat'  'MS  ?     With  what  success  against  Holland  ?    3,  4.  What  of  the  leaders  in  parliament  I 


28 


330         CROMWELL    MAKES    HIMSELF   SOLE    RULER. 1653. 

6.  He  resolved  to  do  so ;  and  his  credit  was  too  firmly  established 
to  need  any  artifice ;  accordingly,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1653,  he 
went  to  the  parliament-house,  while  the  members  were  assembled, 
and,  placing  a  file  of  soldiers  at  the  door,  entered  the  hall  and  sat 
down.  After  sitting  some  time,  he  suddenly  started  up,  exclaim- 
ing, "  This  is  the  time, — I  must  do  it !"  meaning,  that  what  he  was 
about  to  do,  was  to  be  done  by  the  express  command  of  God.  We 
have  already  stated  that  the  Puritans  were  remarkably  strict  in  all 
religious  observances. 

6.  The  Independents  were  the  most  rigid  of  Puritans ;  they  took 
the  Bible  for  their  law-book ;  and,  being  ardent  and  enthusiastic, 
persuaded  themselves  that  God  took  an  immediate  part  in  the  affairs 
of  the  world,  and  made  known  his  will  to  such  as  asked  it  of  him 
by  sincere  and  earnest  prayer.  Acting  upon  this  belief,  the  leaders, 
on  important  occasions,  resorted  to  prayer,  and  their  decision  was 
in  accordance  with  the  answer  supposed  to  be  returned — a  very 
unsafe  mode  of  proceeding,  since,  the  interpretation  resting  with 
themselves,  it  would  always  be  in  correspondence  with  their  own 
wishes. 

7.  Thus,  the  execution  of  Charles  was  asserted  to  have  been  in 
compliance  with  a  divine  command  directly  made  known  to  them. 
Doubtless,  many  of  the  Puritans  were  sincere ;  perhaps  some  were 
hypocrites.  The  enemies  of  Cromwell  say  that  he  belonged  to  the 
latter  class ;  for  a  man  of  his  great  abilities,  they  assert,  could  not 
have  so  deceived  himself.  This,  however,  is  one  of  the  points  in 
history  that  can  never  be  decided ;  certain  it  is,  that  he  exhibited 
every  mark  of  sincerity. 

8.  We  shall  now  understand  his  excftmation.  He  had  b'een  seek- 
ing counsel  from  on  high,  and  the  result  was  now  to  be  made  known. 
Turning  to  the  members,  he  loaded  them  with  reproaches;  he  then 
stamped  with  his  foot ;  on  which  signal  the  soldiers  entering  the  hall, 
he  ordered  them  to  drive  all  the  members  out;  first  saying,  "You 
are  no  longer  a  parliament ;  the  Lord  has  chosen  other  instruments 
for  carrying  on  his  work.  I  have  sought  the  Lord  night  and  day, 
that  he  would  rather  slay  me  than  put  me  upon  this  work." 

9.  He  stayed  till  the  hall  was  cleared ;  then,  ordering  the  door  to 
be  locked,  he  put  the  keys  into  his  pocket,  and  returned  to  the 
palace  at  Whitehall,  where  he  and  his  family  had  taken  up  theii 
residence.  He  was  now  the  sole  head  of  the  government,  and 
assumed  more  authority  than  even  the  most  arbitrary  of  the  kings 
had  done.  To  keep  up  something  of  the  appearance  of  a  common- 
wealth, he  summoned  a  parliament,  consisting  of  the  most  ignorant 
religious  fanatics. 

10.  One  of  the  chief  orators  in  this  parliament  was  one  Barebone; 
hence  it  was  called  Barebone's  parliament.  The  Puritans,  to  show 
their  religious  zeal,  discarded  the  usual  Christian  names  as  being 
heathenish,  and  adopted  others  which  they  deemed  more  holy. 
Even  the  New  Testament  names  of  James,  Thomas,  Peter,  &c., 

5.  Relate  the  particulars  of  Cromwell's  attack  on  the  parliament.    9.  What  of  the  exten* 
>f  his  power?    10.  What  was  the  parliament  called  ?    What  is  said  of  names  ? 


RECEIVES   THE   TITLE    OF    PROTECTOR. 1653.  331 

were  not  held  in  such  regard  as  those  borrowed  from  the  Old  Testa' 
ment,  such  as  Habakkuk  and  Zerubbabel.  Sometimes  a  whole 
sentence  was  adopted.  Thus  we  read  of  Stand-fast-on-high  Stringer, 
Kill-Sin  Pimple,  Figh^-the- Good- Fight-of -Faith  White,  More-Frui,, 
Fowler,  Good-Reward  Smart. 

11.  Barebone  himself  was  named  Praise-  God,  and  he  had  a  brolhcv 
named.  If-  Christ-had-not-died-for-you,-you-had-been-damned  Bare- 
bone.  This  was  too  long  a  name  to  be  repeated  every  time  he  was 
addressed,  so  people  generally  called  him  Damned  Barebone.  The 
parliament  went  to  work  as  pompously  as  if  it  really  possessed 
power;  but  its  conduct  was  so  absurd,  that  Cromwell  became 
ashamed  of  it,  and  sent  all  the  members  about  their  business. 


CHAPTER  CLXXVII. 

Cromwell  made  Protector. — Prosperous  State  of  England  under  his 
Government. — A  Conspiracy  formed  by  the  Royalists,  but  Cromwell 
gets  information  of  it  by  means  of  the  Post-office. — Newspapers. — The 
Members  of  CromwelVs  Family. — His  Death. 

1.  The  officers  of  the  army,  acting  under  the  direction  of  Crom- 
well, now  prepared  a  new  constitution,  which  vested  the  supreme 
authority  in  him,  with  the  title  of  Protector.  He  now  assumed  all 
the  state  of  a  king,  and  acted  his  part  with  the  greatest  dignity ; 
his  wife  was  called  Her  Highness ;  and  his  daughters  were  waited 
upon  by  ambassadors  and  foreigners  as  if  they  had  been  princesses. 
The  great  mass  of  the  people  were  thankful  to  get  rid  of  the  oppres- 
sion of  the  parliament,  and  to  enjoy  a  settled  government.  Justice 
was  administered  promptly,  and  order  maintained. 

2.  Under  Cromwell's  wise  and  energetic  government,  England 
enjoyed  prosperity  at  home,  and  the  respect  and  consideration  of 
foreign  powers,  to  a  degree  to  which  she  had  never  before  attained. 
The  Dutch  were  soon  obliged  to  sue  for  peace.  Jamaica  was  taken 
from  the  Spaniards,  and  still  remains  a  possession  of  Great  Britain. 
A  new  parliament,  which  he  summoned,  offered  Cromwell  the  title 
of  king,  but  he  refused  it ;  and  was  contented  to  have  the  protector- 
ship confirmed  to  him  for  life,  with  the  power  of  conferring  it  on 
whomsoever  he  pleased  at  his  death. 

3.  The  royalists  did  not  remain  idle ;  and  in  16^55,  a  plan  for  a 
general  rising  was  adopted.  But  Cromwell  had  full  information  of 
their  designs,  having  the  carriers  and  postmasters  so  fully  under  his 
control,  that  no  treasonable  letters  could  pass  undiscovered ;  and 
before  the  appointed  day  many  of  the  royalists  were  taken  up; 
some  were  punished  with  death,  and  some  were  sold  for  slaves,  and 

CLXXVII.— 1.  What  title  was  assigned  to  Cromwell?    2.  What  ot  England  under  his 


332 


POST-OFFICES    AND   LETTERS. 


sent  to  Barbadoes.  This  act  struck  terror  through  the  disaflfected^ 
and  no  considerable  attempt  was  afterwards  made  to  overturn  the 
protector's  power. 


CROMWELI.  REJECTING  THE  CROWN. 

4.  Post-offices,  which  proved  of  such  service  to  Cromwell,  had 
not  been  long  established.  Charles  I.  appointed  a  post  to  carry 
letters  once  a  week  between  London  and  Edinburgh.  But  the  sys- 
tem was  much  extended  and  improved  under  Cromwell.  In  earlier 
times,  there  were  persons  whose  business  it  was  to  carry  letters ;  and 
in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII.,  there  were  established  carriers;  but  the 
system  was  very  imperiect  and  irregular.  The  curious  way  in  which 
letters  were  formerly  directed  would  puzzle  a  modern  postmaster. 

5.  A  letter  addressed  by  a  nobleman  of  Henry  VIII.'s  court  to 
Lord  Shrewsbury,  was  thus  directed :  *'  To  the  right  honorable  and 
our  very  good  lord  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  president  of  the  king's 
majesty's  council  in  the  north  parts.  Haste  for  thy  life,  post — 
haste,  haste,  haste — for  thy  life,  post,  haste."  The  letter  did  not 
require  any  extraordinary  haste ;  and  indeed  Lord  Shrewsbury's 
correspondent,  either  in  that  letter  or  in  some  other,  apologizes  for 
putting  so  much  speed  in  the  direction,  and  adds,  "The  only  cause 
is  that  the  posts  be  so  slow." 


rule?     3.  What  of  the  royalists?     How  did  Cromwell  become  informed  of  their  designs! 
4.  "What  is  said  of  the   post-office?    6.  When  were  newspapers  introduced?    7.  Whal 


I 


Cromwell's  family — his  death. — 1658.  333 

6.  The  mention  of  the  post-oflSce  naturally  reminds  us  of  news- 
papers. These  were  first  circulated  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  in 
order,  we  believe,  to  apprise  the  country  of  the  defeat  of  the 
Spanish  Armada.  After  this,  they  must  have  been  discontinued 
for  many  years,  since  the  date  commonly  assigned  to  their  first 
publication  is  that  of  1642. 

7.  Though  no  attempts  were  openly  made  against  him,  Cromwell 
knew,  by  means  of  his  spies,  that  many  persons  had  formed  the  de- 
sign of  taking  his  life.  Though  he  had  so  often  braved  danger  ii. 
battle  with  intrepidity,  he  now  betrayed  a  more  than  common  fear 
of  death ;  and  every  moment  of  his  life  was  made  miserable  by  the 
apprehension  of  losing  it.  If  any  stranger  looked  earnestly  at  him, 
it  made  his  heart  sink  within  him.  He  always  wore  armor  under 
his  clothes,  and  he  never  dared  to  sleep  in  the  same  apartment 
more  than  two  or  three  nights  at  a  time. 

8.  His  mother,  who  had  been  brought  from  her  retirement  to 
share  his  greatness,  also  shared  his  apprehensions ;  she  never  heard 
a  gun  go  off*,  or  a  sudden  noise,  without  exclaiming,  "My  son  is 
shot !"  and  she  was  never  satisfied  of  his  safety  unless  she  saw  him 
twice  a  day.  Cromwell  was  very  fond  of  his  mother,  who  was 
worthy  of  his  love,  and  he  was  ,always  an  affectionate  and  dutiful 
son.  Her  dying  request,  however,  he  disobeyed;  for,  instead  of 
burying  her  as  she  desired,  in  a  private  manner,  he  caused  her  to 
be  interred  with  more  than  royal  pomp. 

9.  Cromwell's  wife  was  also  an  excellent  woman,  and  brought  up 
her  children  very  well.  She  was  always  apprehensive  of  a  change 
of  fortune ;  and  often  besought  her  husband  to  secure  himself  from 
danger  from  the  royalists,  by  offering  his  youngest  daughter  in 
marriage  to  Charles.  It  is  believed  that  prince  would  have  made 
no  objection  to  such  a  match ;  but  Cromwell's  usual  answer  was, 
"  I  tell  you,  Charles  Stuart  will  never  forgive  me  for  his  father's 
death." 

10.  The  loss  of  his  favorite  daughter,  Mrs.  Claypole,  added  much 
to  Cromwell's  gloom ;  and  from  the  time  of  her  death  he  never  was 
observed  to  smile.  She  was  a  zealous  royalist,  as  were  also  his 
daughters  Lady  Franconberg  and  Lady  Rich.  His  other  daughter, 
who  had  first  married  General  Ireton,  and  afterwards  General  Fleet- 
wood, was  a  violent  republican — ^that  is,  in  favor  of  a  government 
conducted  by  representatives  of  the  people. 

11.  Nor  did  Cromwell  receive  much  sympathy  or  support  from 
his  eldest  son,  Eichard,  whom  he  designed  to  be  his  successor,  for 
he  was  a  man  of  inferior  abilities,  and  of  no  ambition ;  he  much 
preferred  the  quiet  of  his  little  farm  to  all  the  splendors  of  royalty, 
which,  with  its  accompanying  cares  and  fatigues,  he  was  soon  called 
upon  to  endure.  Henry,  the  youngest  son,  was  a  man  of  great 
talents  and  extraordinary  goodness.  Although  very  young,  he  was 
intrusted  with  the  government  of  Ireland,  which  he  conducted  with 
so  much  prudence  as  to  gain  the  love  of  the  people,  whose  condition 
he  did  all  in  his  power  to  improve. 

rendered  Cromwell's  life  miserable?    8.  Wliat  of  his  mother?    9.  What  of  his  irifeT 


334    RICHARD    CROMWELL    PROCLAIMED    PROTECTOR. 1658. 

12.  It  is  not  surprising  that  Cromwell's  bodily  frame  sunk  undei 
the  weight  of  cares  and  anxieties.  He  died  September  3d,  1658,  in 
the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age ;  and  his  body  was  deposited  with 
great  pomp  in  Westminster  Abbey.  It  was  a  long  time  before  any- 
thing like  justice  was  done  to  the  character  of  Cromwell  by  his  own 
countrymen.  The  zealous  royalists  could  see  nothing  good  or  great 
in  any  person  who  denied  that  kings  have  a  natural  right  to  rule, 
whatever  may  be  their  capacity,  or  however  much  they  may  oppress 
their  subjects. 

13.  Others  thought  to  curry  favor  with  the  monarch  who  suc- 
ceeded to  the  throne,  by  heaping  abuse  upon  the  memory  of  one 
whom  they  called  a  usurper.  But  the  great  mass  of  the  English 
people  have  now  adopted  the  opinion  which  foreigners  held  from 
the  beginning,  that  Cromwell  was  one  of  the  greatest  men  that 
England  has  produced,  taking  the  world's  estimate  of  greatness. 
He  was,  indeed,  a  great  general,  statesman,  and  sovereign. 


CHAPTER  CLXXVIII. 

Richard  Cromwell  proclaimed  Protector. — He  finds  himself  unable  to 
maintain  himself  in  office,  and  resigns. —  General  Monk  mai'ches  with 
his  Army  to  London,  and  proclaims  Charles  II.  King,  who  returns  to 
England,  and  everything  is  restored  to  its  ancient  footing. 

1.  Richard  Cromwell  was  proclaimed  protector  upon  his 
father's  death.  But  the  nation  soon  found  the  difference  between 
the  strong  hand  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  and  the  weakness  and  inde- 
cision of  his  son,  and  showed  a  disposition  to  cast  off  his  authority. 
But  Richard  quietly  resigned  a  dignity  which  he  had  neither  the 

Eower  nor  the  inclination  to  keep ;  thus  wisely  saving  himself  from 
eing  dispossessed  by  violence.    He  held  the  protectorship  only 
a  few  months. 

2.  Henry  Cromwell  also  resigned  his  command  in  Ireland,  though 
his  popularity  in  that  country  was  very  great,  and  he  might  have 
retained  his  power  there  if  he  had  chosen  to  do  so ;  but  he  preferred 
the  tranquillity  of  a  private  station  to  the  dangerous  and  uncertain 
enjoyments  of  ambition.  He  well  describes  his  own  character  in  a 
letter  which  he  wrote  to  his  brother  when  he  resigned  his  power. 
"'I  would  rather,"  he  says,  "submit  to  any  suffering  with  a  good 
name,  than  be  the  greatest  man  on  earth  without  it." 

3.  The  country  was  now  left  without  any  government,  and  each 
party  was  full  of  hopes  of  establishing  its  own  favorite  form. 
Those  members  of  parliament  who  had  been  so  unceremoniously  ex- 
pelled by  Cromwell  in  1653,  met  and  assumed  the  control  of  affairs. 

10.  What  of  his  daughters?     11.  What  of  his  sons?     12.  When  did  Cromwell  die?     13. 
What  led  to  a  false  estimate  of  his  character? 
CLXXVlII.-l.  What  of  Richard  Cromwell?     2.  What  of  Henry  Cromwell?     3.  What 


CONTENTIONS    OF   THE    RIVAL    PARTIES. — 1(560. 


335 


But  they  found  no  support  from  any  party,  and  were  once  more 
put  to  flight  by  General  Lambert,  who  commanded  the  army,  and 
who  hoped  by  its  assistance  to  obtain  the  vacant  protectorship. 

4.  In  the  mean  time,  Charles,  on  hearing  what  was  passing  in 
England,  came  to  Calais,  that  he  might  be  at  hand  to  take  advan- 
tage of  any  circumstance  favorable  to  his  cause.  For  some  time 
there  seemed  to  be  little  chance  for  him ;  but  at  last,  what  the 
efforts  of  his  friends  could  not  do,  the  rivalry  of  his  enemies  brought 
about.  Lambert  and  Monk  had  long  hated  each  other  ;  and  Monk, 
partly  to  disappoint  Lambert  in  his  ambitious  hopes,  and  partly  to 
please  his  wife,  who  was  a  zealous  royalist,  formed  the  design  of 
restoring  Charles,  and  entered  into  correspondence  with  him. 

5.  But  so  well  did  Monk  conceal  his  design,  that  it  was  thought 
he  was  acting  for  the  parliament,  so  that  he  was  able  to  march 
from  Scotland  to  London,  not  only  without  opposition,  but  he  was 
even  joined  on  the  way  by  Lambert's  troops,  who  arrested  their 
general  and  put  him  in  the  Tower.  On  the  1st  of  May,  1660,  Monk 
ventured  to  propose  to  a  new  parliament,  which  he  had  assembled, 
the  restoration  of  the  king.     The  proposition  was  received  with  joy 


CHABIiES  II.  LANDING  AT  DOVER. 


by  the  people,  who  were  tired  of  the  anarchy  which  had  prevailed 
since  the  death  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  and  which  his  good  government 
made  the  more  striking. 


body  assumed  the  government?    4.  What  did  Charles  do?     What  aided  bia 


?    6. 


336 


RESTORATION    OF    CHARLES    II. 1660. 


6.  The  peers  hastened  to  assemble  and  to  assume  their  old  rights 
as  one  of  the  houses  of  parliament.  On  the  8th  of  May,  Charles 
was  formally  proclaimed  king,  and  a  committee  sent  to  invite  him 
to  return  and  take  possession  of  the  throne.  He  was  met  at  Dover 
by  General  Monk,  who  conducted  him  to  London,  which  he  en- 
tered May  29th,  1660.  As  a  reward  for  these  great  services.  Monk 
was  created  Duke  of  Albemarle,  and  received  a  large  sum  of  morey 
to  support  his  new  dignity. 


f4"^4»%^ 


CHABLEIS  II.  ENTERINQ   LONDON. 

7.  Everything  about  the  court  was  now  restored  to  its  former 
condition.  Old  courtiers  returned  to  their  old  places;  even  the 
statue  of  Charles  I.  resumed  its  ancient  pedestal;  for  it  seems  the 
brazier  to  whom  it  was  sold,  thought  he  might  make  a  better  specu- 
lation by  saving  it  whole,  than  melting  it  down ;  so  he  disobeyed 
the  orders  of  the  parliament  to  break  it  in  pieces,  and  buried  it  in 
the  ground,  from  which  it  now  made  its  reappearance. 

8.  Having  thus  seated  Charles  upon  the  throne,  we  must  dispose 
of  the  Cromwell  family,  and  then  give  an  account  of  some  of  the 
other  great  men  who  flourished  during  the  Commonwealth.  Though 
Charles  showed  no  disposition  to  molest  Kichard  Cromwell,  still  he 
thought  it  safest  to  leave  the  country  for  a  time.  In  the  course  of 
his  travels  he  was  introduced,  under  a  borrowed  name,  to  the  French 
Prince  of  Conti,  who,  talking  of  English  affairs,  broke  out  into  ad- 
miration of  Cromwell's  courage  and  capacity.  "  But  what,"  said 
the  prince,  "  has  become  of  that  pitiful  fellow  Richard  ?" 

9'.  He  returned  to  England,  and,  taking  the  name  of  Clark,  lived 

Who  proposed  the  calling  of  Charles  II.  to  the  throne?  6.  When  was  ho  proclaimed T 
When  did  he  arrive  in  London?  7.  What  followed  the  restoration  of  the  monarchy? 
«.  What  became  of  Richard  Cromwell  ?     What  of  Heurj-? 


DISTINGUISHED    MEN    OF    THE   TIMES.  337 

to  be  a  very  old  man.  Henry  became  a  highly  respected  country 
gentleman.  King  Charles  was  out  hunting  one  day,  and  seeing  a 
gentleman's  house,  rode  up  to  it  to  obtain  some  refreshment.  AVhen 
Henry  Cromwell,  whose  residence  it  was,  saw  the  king,  he  was 
somewhat  embarrassed;  but  Charles,  by  his  gracious  manner,  soon 
set  him  at  ease,  and  the  visit  went  off  very  agreeably.  The  king 
was  as  much  jjleased  with  the  kindness  and  simplicity  of  Mr.  Crom- 
well's manners  and  appearance,  as  the  latter  was  with  the  good 
humor  and  pleasantry  of  the  king. 


CHAPTER  CLXXIX. 

Account  of  Milton. — Andrew  Marvell. — Algernon  Sydney. — James 
Harrington. 

1.  Whitelocke,  one  of  the  officers  of  state  during  the  common- 
wealth, wrote  an  account  of  ^vhat  happened  at  that  period ;  and, 
amongst  other  things,  he  tells  us  that  one  Milton,  a  blind  man,  was 
employed  to  translate  into  Latin  a  treaty  which  he  had  himself 
negotiated  with  Sweden. 

2.  "Sir  Bulstrode  Whitelocke,  one  of  our  Lords  of  the  Treasury," 
would  have  thought  the  assertion  too  ridiculous  to  be  a  matter  for 
anger,  if  any  one  had  said  that  long  after  his  name  should  be  for- 
gotten by  all  but  learned  antiquaries,  the  name  of  this  same  Milton 
would  be  familiar  to  all,  from  the  palace  to  the  cottage.  But  so  it 
is.  A  person  must  be  very  ignorant  indeed,  who  does  not  know 
that  John  Milton  wrote  the  Paradise  Lost,  a  poem  which,  for  sub- 
limity and  purity,  has  never  been  equalled. 

3.  Milton,  in  his  youth,  had  light-brown  hair,  regular  and  hand- 
some features,  and  he  was  so  fair,  that  at  the  University  of  Cam- 
bridge he  was  called  "  the  lady  of  Christ  College."  He  was  about 
the  middle  size,  well  proportioned  and  active,  but  never  very  healthy. 
Being  a  puritan,  and  very  learned,  he  was  appointed  Latin  Secretary 
to  the  council  in  the  early  days  of  the  commonwealth,  and  was  re- 
tained in  that  office  by  Cromwell,  for  whom  he  had  the  greatest 
admiration  and  respect.  In  those  times  the  Latin  language  was 
used  in  the  intercourse  between  nations. 

4.  Intense  application  to  study  gradually  destroyed  his  sight,  but 
this  did  not  destroy  his  usefulness ;  for  others  wrote  down  what  he 
dictated.  His  two  youngest  daughters  used  to  read  to  him,  and  in 
eight  different  languages,  though  they  themselves  understood  only 
the  English;  "one  tongue,"  their  father  was  wont  to  say,  "was 
enough  for  a  woman."  He  had  also  a  kind  quaker  friend,  named 
Thomas  Ellwood,  who  paid  him  a  daily  visit,  and  acted  as  his  scribe. 
He  wrote  an  answer  to  the  "  Icon  Basilike,"  and  many  other  polit- 
ical works,  which  made  him  very  obnoxious  to  the  royalists. 

CLXXIX.— 3.  What  of  Milton  in  his  youth?  What  appointment  did  he  hold  during 
the  commonwealth?     4.  What  personal  misfortune  did  he  meet  with?     What  of  hig 

29 


o38  DISTINGUISHED    MEN    OF    THE   TIMIOS. 

5.  4t  the  restoration  lie  was  obliged  to  conceal  himself  for  a  time 
and  afterwards  lived  in  poverty  in  London.  There  were,  however, 
some  men  of  rank  and  distinction,  who  delighted  to  converse  with 
the  blind  bard,  as  he  sat  before  his  door,  clad  in  a  coarse  gray  coat, 
enjoying  the  refreshing  breezes  of  a  summer  evening.  It  was  now 
thathe  composed  his  great  poem  of  Paradise  Lost,  which  he  mod- 
estly submitted  to  the  judgment  of  his  friend  Ellwood.  The  latter 
read  it,  and,  on  returning  it  to  him,  expressed  his  approbation,  add- 
ing, "Thou  hast  said  much  here  of  Paradise  Lost,  but  what  hast 
thou  to  say  of  Paradise  Found?" 

().  The  hint  was  not  lost ;  Milton  composed  the  "  Paradise  Ee- 
gHined,"  and  when  it  was  finished,  putting  it  into  the  hands  of  Ell- 
wood, he  said,  "  This  is  owing  to  you ;  for  you  put  it  into  my  head 
by  the  question  you  put  to  me."  For  the  Paradise  Lost,  Milton 
received  from  the  publishers  only  fifteen  pounds,  (less  than  seventy- 
five  dollars,)  a  smaller  sum  than  is  sometimes  paid  for  a  single  article 
in  a  modern  magazine.  Milton  was  born  December  9th,  1608,  and 
died  in  November,  1674. 

7.  Milton's  assistant  in  the  ofiice  of  secretary  was  Andrew  Marvell, 
who  was  a  man  of  great  wit,  as  well  as  learning.  After  the  restora- 
tion, he  wrote  many  pamphlets  against  arbitrary  government,  which 
contained  so  much  humor  that  they  were  exceedingly  popuLar,  and 
much  dreaded  by  the  court  party.  It  was  thought  advisable  to  try 
to  buy  him  over  to  their  side.  So  the  king  sent  his  minister,  Danby, 
to  make  a  bargain  with  him.  Danby  with  some  difiiculty  found  his 
way  to  his  mean  lodgings,  in  an  obscure  court. 

8.  Marvell  supposed  his  visitor  had  lost  his  way,  but  when  in- 
formed that  Danby  came  from  the  kin^,  who  wished  to  know  what 
he  would  do  to  serve  him,  he  answered  that  it  was  not  in  his  maj- 
esty's power  to  serve  him.  When  pressed  to  accept  any  ofiice  the 
court  could  give,  Marvell  replied,  that  he  could  not  take  any,  for  in 
such  case  he  must  either  be  ungrateful  to  the  king  by  opposing  him, 
or  false  to  his  country  by  supporting  his  measures.  Danby  then 
said  that  he  was  the  bearer  of  <£1000  from  the  king  as  a  mark  of 
his  respect ;  but  the  infiexible  patriot  rejected  it,  though  be  had  to 
borrow  money  to  pay  for  his  dinner. 

9.  There  were  many  eloquent  speakers  and  writers  on  government 
and  law  in  Cromwell's  time ;  the  most  distinguished  were  Algernon 
Sydney  and  James  Harrington.  The  former  was  the  son  of  the  Earl 
of  Leicester.  He  was  a  violent  republican,  and  took  the  old  Eoman 
Marcus  Brutus  as  his  pattern.  Harrington  wrote  a  book  called 
"  Oceana,"  which  is  a  description  of  an  imaginary  republic,  such  as 
he  thought  one  ought  to  be. 

daughters?  What  of  his  friend  Ellwood?  5.  What  befell  him  at  the  restoration? 
When  did  he  die?  7.  What  of  Andrew  Marvell?  8.  Relate  the  anecdote  of  his  iiiteg- 
rity.    9.  What  of  other  distinguished  speakers  and  writers? 


CHARACTER   OF   CHARLES   II.  339 


CHAPTER  CLXXX. 

Chaincter  of  Charles  11. — How  he  treakdJJl&^mitans. — Death  of 
Archbishop  Sharp. —  Great  Change  in  the  Habits  of  the  People. — 
Samuel  Butler,  the  Author  of  Hudibras. — More  of  Richard  Pender  ill. 

1.  Charles  II.  was  thirty  years  old,  when,  after  sixteen  years' 
exile,  he  was  so  unexpectedly  placed  on  the  throne  of  his  ances- 
tors. He  had  a  good  figure,  and  though  his  features  were  harsh, 
there  was  something  agreeable  in  his  countenance ;  and  his  cheer- 
ful, easy,  and  graceful  deportment  made  him  altogether  a  very 
engaging  person.  He  hated  business,  and  to  live  idly  and  merrily 
was  all  he  cared  for.  He  had  no  wish  to  be  a  great  or  a  good 
monarch,  and  he  only  valued  his  country  because  he  found  it  an 
agreeable  dwelling-place. 

2.  The  first  measures  of  the  king  gave  general  satisfaction.  The 
Earl  of  Clarendon,  who  had  attended  him  during  his  exile,  had  the 
chief  influence  in  his  council,  and  by  his  integrity  and  wisdom  the 
government  was  carried  on  for  a  time  with  justice  and  moderation. 
A  general  pardon  was  proclaimed  to  all  who  had  taken  part  against 
the  king  during  the  civil  wars,  excepting  to  those  who  had  been 
active  in  procuring  the  death  of  Charles  I.  About  sixty  persons 
had  been  concerned  in  that  act.  Of  these,  many  were  dead,  and 
others  had  left  the  kingdom. 

3.  Of  those  brought  to  trial,  only  ten  were  executed;  of  this 
number,  was  Hugh  Peters,  a  preacher,  who  had  not  only  been  very 
active  in  stirring  up  the  minds  of  the  people  against  the  king,  but 
also,  it  was  supposed,  was  one  of  the  masked  executioners  who  be- 
headed him.  Sir  Henry  Vane  was  also  executed;  Lambert  was 
exiled  to  the  island  of  Guernsey,  where  he  lived  thirty  years,  and 
from  being  a  rigid  puritan,  became  a  Roman  Catholic. 

4.  Having  thus  satisfied  their  revenge  at  what  may  be  deemed  a 
moderate  expense  of  human  life,  the  government  set  about  restoring 
the  old  forms  of  religion.  The  Episcopal  church  was  re-established 
in  England  without  difliculty,  but  the  attempt  to  force  it  upon  the 
Scots  Avas  not  so  successful.  The  king  was  exceedingly  desirous  to 
introduce  it  into  Scotland ;  perhaps  the  more  so  because  he  remem- 
bered the  insults  he  had  suffered  from  the  Scotch  Presbyterians, 
when  he  was  formerly  among  them. 

5.  •  He  induced  Sharp,  a  Presbyterian  leader,  to  accept  the  arch- 
bishopric of  St.  Andrews.  Sharp  was  a  bigoted  man,  and  behaved 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  exasperate  the  people  yet  more  against 
Episcopacy,  He  was  at  last  killed  by  a  zealous  covenanter,  called 
Balfour  of  Burley,  who,  with  a  small  party  of  men,  chanced  to 
meet  him,  as  he  was  travelling  with  his  daughter,  dragged  him  out 


CLXXX. — 1.  What  of  Charles  II.'s  personal  appearance  and  character?     2.  What  of 
hifl  porly  measures?     How  dirlho  treat  the  pnritan««?    3.  Who  were  executed?    4.  What 


340      CHANGE  IN  THE  HABITS  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

of  his  carriage,  and  murdered  him.     This  act  put  an  entire  stop  tc 
the  attempt  to  introduce  Episcopacy  in  the  Scotch  church. 

6.  In  1662,  Charles  married  ^''nthnri^^  ^^  Prng^nnrn^  daughter  of 
the  King  of  Portugal.  The  new  queen  had  been  educated  in  a  con- 
vent, and  was  very  formal  and  grave;  she  rejected  the  company  of 
the  English  ladies,  and  would  only  have  about  her  a  set  of 'old, 
solemn  duennas,  as  the  Spanish  call  the  stiif,  formal  old  women, 
whom  it  is  the  custom  of  that  country  to  set  over  young  ones,  to 
keep  them  out  of  mischief.  The  king  found  her  and  her  court  so 
dull,  that  he  neglected  her  society,  and  spent  most  of  his  time  with 
a  set  of  idle,  dissolute  companions. 

7.  The  example  of  Charles  had  a  most  pernicious  influence;  few 
persons  could  equal  him  in  wit,  yet  those  of  the  meanest  capacity 
could  imitate  his  vices,  and  the  coarse  and  vulgar  jokes  in  which 
he  often  indulged  himself  The  public  taste  was  corrupted ;  and 
the  books  written  at  that  time,  which  acquired  any  popularity, 
were  polluted  with  the  same  vicious  spirit  which  prevailed  in 
society. 

8.  The  people  were  all  the  more  ready  to  rush  into  dissipation,  for 
having  been  so  long  restrained  from  their  customary  amusement. 
Under  the  rule  of  the  parliament,  all  recreation  was  deemed  to  be 
unchristian ;  a  cheerful  countenance  and  a  ruddy  complexion  were 
considered  as  the  marks  of  a  malignant.  Some  of  the  sports  which 
were  suppressed  exhibit  the  rude  manners  of  the  times. 

9.  Thus  we  are  told  that  Colonel  Henson,  with  pious  zeal, 
marched  his  regiment  into  London,  and  destroyed  all  the  bears, 
which  were  there  kept  for  the  diversion  of  the  citizens;  bear-bait- 
ing, that  is,  fastening  up  a  poor  bear,  and  then  setting  dogs  upon 
him,  being  a  favorite  amusement.  This  exploit  of  Colonel  Henson 
is  said  to  have  given  occasion  to  the  humorous  poem  of  Hiidibras, 
which,  however,  was  not  published  till  1663. 

10.  It  was  written  by  Samuel  Butler,  who  lived  for  some  time  as 
steward  with  Sir  Samuel  Luke,  a  famous  commander  under  Crom- 
well. Sir  Samuel  is  supposed  to  be  the  hero  of  the  poem,  in  which 
he  and  his  party  are  delineated  in  the  most  absurd  and  ridiculous 
colors.  It  did  greater  service  to  the  royal  cause,  by  exposing  the 
fanaticism  of  the  puritans,  than  a  thousand  dry  treatises  could  have 
done;  for  no  one  would  read  those,  while  the  pleasantry  and  humor 
of  Hudibras  gave  it  universal  circulation. 

11.  The  king  was  so  delighted  with  it,  that  he  learned  a  part  of 
it  by  heart ;  yet  he  suffered  the  author  to  die  in  want.  Ingrati- 
tude was,  indeed,  one  of  the  revolting  traits  in  Charles'  character. 
Thousands  of  his  subjects  had  reduced  themselves  from  affluence  to 
absolute  want  by  their  exertions  in  his  behalf;  but  he  took  no 
notice  of  their  petitions,  and  suffered  them  to  remain  in  distress, 
whilst  he  lavished  the  public  money  upon  his  favorites,  both  male 
and  female. 


did  he  do  about  religion  ?  5.  What  happened  in  Scotland  in  regard  to  this  ?  6.  Whom 
did  Charles  marry?  What  of  her  character?  7.  What  -was  the  character  of  his  court? 
What  fihange  in  general  nmiiuprs?     9.  Relate  Colonel  Henson'a  exploit.    To  what  poem 


THE    GREAT   PLAGUE    IN    LONDON. in6o.  34i 

12.  There  were  a  few  exceptions  to  this.  After  his  restoration,  he 
sent  for  Richard  Penderill,  and  calling  him  "  Friend  Richard,"  made 
him  give  the  courtiers  an  account  of  all  their  adventures  together, 
and  of  the  escape  from  Boscobel.  This  the  old  man  did,  to  the  great 
entertainment  of  all  present,  telling  them  "  how  he  got  a  sorry  jade 
for  the  king,  with  a  bad  saddle  and  bridle;  and  how  his  majesty 
complained  of  the  steed,  and  how  his  brother  Humphrey  said  the 
king  should  not  find  fault  with  the  poor  animal,  for  it  never  before 
carried  the  weight  of  three  kingdoms  on  its  back."  The  king  main- 
tained the  old  man  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER  CLXXXI. 

GvecU^PkigueMi.Landon,  followed  by  a  great  Fire. — About  the  Lord 
Mayor. —  Great  ImprovemeM%  in  London  after  the  Fire. — Sir  Mat- 
thew Hale  draws  up  Rules  for  the  Settlement  of  Land  Titles,  and  Sir 
flI\,rL'ifnpht>r  Wrp.'q  is  employed  as  on  Architect. 

1.  In  the  autumn  of  jfiB^-a.  most  violent  plague  broke  out  in 
London,  and  in  a  short  time  ^ii^llQO'persons  are  said  to  have  died 
of  it.  The  court  and  the  richer  classes  of  people  retired  at  the  be- 
ginning of  it  into  the  country,  dismissing  their  servants,  who  were 
turned  into  the  streets  to  perish.  These  poor  wretches,  more  than 
^QjOOQ  in  number,  being  refused  admittance  into  any  house  in  the 
city,  wandered  into  the  country  ;  but  the  villagers  drove  them  back 
with  pitchforks,  lest  they  should  bring  the  infection  of  the  plague 
with  them.    ^ 

2.  The  LorcftVIayor  of  London,  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  then  sup- 
ported them  till  his  means  were  exhausted ;  and  a  subscription  Avas 
afterwards  raised  for  them,  to  which  the  king  contributed  a  thou- 
sand pounds  a  week.  Whilst  the  city  was  yet  suffering  under  this 
calamity,  it  was  assailed  also  by  another.  On  the  3d  of  September, 
1666,  a  fire  broke  out  near  London  bridge,  and  after  raging  three 
days  and  three  nights,  and  destroying  1J^/)Q0  houses  and  eighty_-four 
churches,  was  finally  stopped  by  blowing  up  buildings  in  its  wayT 

3.  Mr.  Evelyn,  a  truly  excellent  country  gentleman,  who  kept  a 
daily  journal,  which  has  lately  been  published,  has  given  us  a  very 
animated  description  of  the  terrible  scene.  On  the  evening  of  the 
3d  of  September,  he  went  to  the  bank-side  of  the  river  Thames  at 
Southwark,  and  from  thence  he  beheld  the  flames  spreading  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  in  one  sheet,  all  along  the  bank.  He 
went  again  early  the  next  morning  to  the  same  place,  and  saw  the 
fire  still  raging  furiously.    It  was  then  catching  to  the  great  church 

18  it  said  to  have  given  occasion  ?     What  of  Butler?    11.  "What  bad  trait  in  Charles'  cha- 
racter?    12.  What  exception  to  his  general  conduct? 
CLXXXI.— 1.  When  did  the  plague  desolate  London?     What  calamity  followed  th«, 

29* 


342 


ACCOUNT   OF   THE   GREAT   FIRE. — 1666. 


of  St.  Paul's,  and  soon  spread  itself  on  all  sides,  destroying  every- 
thing in  its  way. 


THE   FIRE  IN   LONDON. 

4.  All  the  sky  was  of  a  fiery  aspect,  like  the  top  of  a  burning 
oven.  The  light  was  seen  at  forty  miles'  distance,  and  not  by 
night  only,  but  by  day;  and  the  smoke,  which  rose  in  thick,  black 
clouds,  was  supposed  to  spread  through  the  atmosphere  for  fifty 
miles  round.  The  air  in  and  about  London  was  so  hot  and  in- 
flamed, that  it  was  quite  stifling.  The  melted  lead  ran  in  a  stream 
from  the  foot  of  St.  Paul's  and  the  other  churches  which  took  fire. 
The  pavement  of  the  streets  glowed  with  so  intense  a  heat,  that 
neither  man  nor  horse  was  able  to  tread  upon  it. 

5.  Under  St.  Paul's  church  were  some  vaults,  and  the  neighboring 
shopkeepers  thought  to  save  their  goods  by  depositing  them  there 
while  the  fire  was  yet  at  a  distance.  Four  days  after  the  fire  had 
ceased,  some  of  them,  anxious  to  know  the  state  of  their  goods, 
opened  one  of  the  vaults;  but  no  sooner  were  the  doors  opened 
than -the  current  of  air  fanned  the  heat  within,  and  caused  the 
flames  to  burst  out  in  the  vault;  and  thus  everything  in  it  was 
burnt.  The  rest,  taking  warning,  waited  till  rain  had  cooled  the 
air.  They  then  opened  the  other  vaults,  and  found  their  goods 
uninjured. 

6.  The  people  at  first  seemed  to  lose  their  senses  in  the  greatness 
of  the  calamity.  The  king,  however,  soon  regained  his  presence  of 
mind.     He,  with  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  attended  late  and 


)lague?    3.  Relate  the  particulars  of  the  great  fire.    6.  What  of  the  king's  conduct 
,  What  of  London  in  ancient  times?     8.  What  of  modern  London?     What  is  strictly 


TIIK    LOlil)    MAYOK.  343 

early  to  encourage  and  r(^ward  the  workmen,  to  whom  he  gave  the 
most  judicious  orders  for  arresting  the  progress  of  the  flames.  On  the 
6th  of  September  the  lire  began  to  yield  to  their  efforts,  and  on  the  7th, 
Mr.  Evelyn,  as  he  tells  us,  was  able  to  walk  through  the  burnt  district ; 
a  scene  of  desolation,  in  which  he  often  did  not  know  where  he  was. 
The  ground  was  still  so  heated  that  the  soles  of  his  shoes  were  burnt. 

7.  London,  in  ancient  times,  was  comparatively  a  small  place, 
and,  like  other  towns  in  those  days,  was  surrounded  by  high  walls. 
The  city  was  entered  through  large  gates,  which  were  closed  in 
times  of  danger.  This  wiis  the  case  in  the  time  of  King  John,  who 
granted  the  city  a  charter,  that  is,  a  written  constitution,  empowering 
it  to  elect  its  own  ofRcei-s,  as  the  lord  mayor,  &c.  As  it  was  the  usual 
place  of  residence  of  the  king,  and  very  conveniently  situated  for  car- 
rying on  an  extensive  commerce,  great  numbers  of  people  came  there 
to  live ;  many  more  than  could  be  accommodated  within  the  walls. 

8.  These  people  built  houses  in  the  neighboring  villages ;  and  as 
this  has  been  going  on  ever  since,  what  is  generally  called  London 
has,  in  the  words  of  a  late  historian,  "ingulphed  one  city,  one  borough, 
and  forty-three  villages;"  and  since  he  wrote,  two  more  villages 
have  been  swallowed  by  the  insatiate  monster.  Thus  the  different 
parts  of  London  are  under  different  governments,  and  lie  in  different 
counties.  The  city  of  London,  strictly  so  called,  is  the  space  included 
within  the  old  walls ;  though  these  have  long  since  disappeared. 

9.  It  is  governed  by  a  lord  mayor,  who,  on  public  occasions,  rides 
in  a  great  coach,  which  is  gorgeously  painted  and  decorated ;  the 
mace-bearer  sits  on  a  stool  in  the  middle,  facing  one  window,  and 
the  sword-bearer  upon  a  stool  also,  facing  the  other.  His  lordship 
himself  is  dressed  either  in  scarlet  or  purple  robes,  richly  furred, 
with  a  broad  hood,  and  a  gold  chain  or  collar.  He  lives  in  a  mag- 
nificent house  called  Guildhall.  The  city  is  principally  occupied  by 
persons  connected  with  trade.  The  nobility,  for  the  most  part, 
have  their  town  residences'  in  what  is,  in  fact,  an  outskirt  of  the 
city,  and  which  is  commonly  called  the  West  End. 

iO.  The  houses  of  the  nobility  were,  in  the  time  of  Charles,  sur- 
rounded by  large  gardens,  so  that  if  a  fire  had  broken  out  in  one  of 
them,  it  could  readily  have  been  prevented  from  spreading.  But  in 
the  city,  the  houses  were  generally  built  close  together,  usually  of 
wood,  and  with  very  narrow  streets.  As  the  fire  extended  but  little 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  city,  the  principal  sufferers  Avere  merchants 
and  tradesmen,  and  the  poor  laborers  dependent  upon  these.  There 
was,  therefore,  great  private  distress.  But  the  fire  was  an  incal- 
culable public  benefit. 

11.  Before  this  time,  the  plague  used  to  be  a  terrible  scourge, 
but  it  has  never  been  known  in  London  since  this  conflagration. 
The  filth  was  burnt  out  that  used  to  harbor  infection.  The  old 
wooden  houses,  with  windows  not  made  to  open,  could  never  be 
purified  by  fresh  air.  They  were  now  succeeded  by  larger  and  more 
airy  dwellings,  and  the  streets  were  made  wider.    Though  a  great 

the  "city"?  How  governed?  10-.  What  of  the  houses  of  the  nobility?  Who  were  the 
pnncipal  sufferers  by  the  fire?     11.  Of  what  advantage  did  the  fire  prove?    12.  What 


844  THE   EARL   OF   CLARENDON. — 1667. 

improvement  was  made,  yet  much  more  might  have  been  done,  but 
for  the  jealousies  of  the  land-owners,  many  of  whom  refused  to  sell 
their  land,  or  to  agree  to  any  plan  for  general  improvement. 

12.  The  king  was  very  desirous  that  all  the  land  should  be 
thrown  into  common,  and  the  city  laid  out  regularly,  according  to 
a  plan  of  a  distinguished  architect.  Sir  Christopher  Wren  ;  the  old 
proprietors  to  receive  payment  in  money,  or  in  land  equally  well 
settled  with  their  old  lots.  But  this  could  not  be  eifected,  much  to 
the  regret  of  the  posterity  of  those  owners;  for  a  similar  oppor- 
tunity, it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  never  occur  again.  As  may  be  sup- 
posed, it  was  a  difficult  matter  to  give  every  person  exactly  his  own 
again,  since  all  the  old  landmarks  were  destroyed. 

13.  But  Sir  Matthew  Hale,  a  wise  and  excellent  man,  and  also  a 
most  learned  judge,  framed,  with  the  assistance  of  other  judges,  a 
set  of  rules  for  adjusting  the  different  claims.  Sir  Christopher 
Wren,  the  greatest  architect  that  England  ever  produced,  was  em- 
ployed to  rebuild  the  public  edifices.  From  his  designs,  fifty-eight 
churches  were  built.  Of  these,  St.  Paul's  is  his  greatest  work.  In- 
deed, it  is  considered  to  be  the  finest  church  in  Europe,  with  the 
single  exception  of  St.  Peter's,  at  Kome,  which  many  travellers  assert 
to  have  the  advantage  only  in  size. 

14.  It  required  one  hundred  years  to  build  St.  Peter's.  The  first 
stone  of  St.  Paul's  was  laid  in  1765,  and  the  whole  building  was 
completed  in  thirty-five  years,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  decora- 
tions. It  seemed  as  if  the  life  of  the  venerable  architect  was 
lengthened,  that  he  might  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  great  work.  He  died  in  the  year  it  was  finished, 
aged  ninety-one. 


CHAPTER  CLXXXII. 

Charles  sacrifices  the  Earl  of  Clarendon  to  the  Cabal. — Tho  Kiu^  be- 
coj2is§U3i..jl^sisMr^  j2JL£^^^^' — Grr^f^i  Discontent  in  England. — 
Habeas  Corpus  Law. 

1.  The  calamities  of  which  Charles  had  been  a  witness  were  not 
without  some  good  effect  on  his  disposition,  and  detached  him  for 
a  while  from  the  idle  and  dissolute  habits  into  which  he  had  sunk ; 
but  his  vicious  companions  soon  came  about  him  and  rallied  him 
out  of  all  his  good  resolutions,  and  he  relapsed  into  his  former  way 
of  life.  These  dissolute  associates,  the  chief  of  whom  was  the  Duke 
of  Buckingham,  the  witty  duke,  as  he  was  called,  had  long  medi- 
tated the  overthrow  of  Lord  Clarendon,  whose  virtue  and  integrity 
made  him  the  particular  object  of  their  dislike. 

2.  Charles,  forgetting  how  faithfully  this  great  statesman  had 
Bcrved  him  in  ^11  his  wanderings  and  necessities,  and  how  much  his 

improvements  were  proposed?    13.  Who  framed  the  rules  for  adjusting  land  claims! 
What  architect  was  chiefly  employed? 
CLXXXII.— 1.  What  effect  had  these  calamities  on  Charles?     What  of  Clarendon? 


THE    WAR    WITH    HOLLAND    RENEWED. 1672-.  34') 

wisdom  had  contributed  to  strengthen  him  on  the  throne,  readily 
acceded  to  a  plan  which  was  to  remove  a  man  who  was  some  check 
upon  hii  vices.  Clarendon  was,  therefore,  on  various  frivolous  pre- 
tences, found  guilty  of  neglect  of  duty,  and  sentenced  to  banishment. 

3.  He  retired  into  France,  and  employed  the  remainder  of  his  life 
chiefly  in  composing  his  excellent  "  History  of  the  Eebellion,"  and 
also  in  writing  an  account  of  his  own  life.  His  youngest  daughter, 
Anna  Hyde,  married  the  Duke  of  York,  and  was  the  mother  of 
Mary  and  Anne,  subsequently  queens  of  England. 

4.  After  Clarendon's  disgrace,  Eupert,  the  Duke  of  Ormond,  Sir 
Orlando  Bridgeman,  and  other  men  of  wisdom  and  experience,  had 
for  a  time  the  chief  weight  in  the  council.  But  in  1670,  their  influ- 
ence declined,  and  the  king,  whose  carelessness  about  public  affairs 
daily  increased,  committed  the  entire  management  to  five  of  the  most 
unprincipled  men  in  the  kingdom,  Clifford,  Ashley,  Buckingham, 
Arlington,  and  Lauderdale,  who  were  called  the  Cabal,  from  the  first 
letters  of  their  names. 

5.  One  of  the  last  acts  of  Clarendon  had  been  to  make  peace  with 
the  Dutch,  with  whom  the  country  had  been  several  years  at  war. 
This  war  was  carried  on  principally  on  the  sea,  and  in  the  course 
of  it  the  English  had  established  that  superiority,  of  which  Blake, 
in  the  time  of  Cromwell,  had  laid  the  foundation.  The  naval  com- 
manders in  this  war  were  Prince  Rupert  and  the  Duke  of  Albemarle. 

6.  In  those  days  there  was  no  great  distinction  between  the  land 
and  sea  service.  A  good  general  was  thought  fully  competent  to 
command  at  sea.  Events  proved  the  correctness  of  this  opinion. 
For  Blake,  who  is  the  most  distinguished  of  Britain's  naval  com- 
manders, with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of  Nelson,  whom  we  shall 
soon  have  occasion  to  notice,  did  not  go  to  sea  till  he  was  past  fifty 
years  of  age,  and  was  then  transferred  from  the  command  of  an 
army  to  that  of  a  fleet. 

7.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  Cabal  was  to  renew  the  war  with 
Holland.  Charles  at  first  hesitated  to  adopt  a  measure  to  which  the 
people  of  England  were  very  much  opposed  ;  but  Louis  XIV.,  King 
of  France,  who  was  himself  at  war  with  Holland,  and  desired  the 
assistance  of  England,  overcame  his  scruples.  The  persuasive  argu- 
ments of  Henrietta,  who  visited  her  brother  on  this  business,  were 
supported  by  some  more  solid  and  effective  reasons,  in  the  shape  of 
gold,  a  large  quantity  of  which  was  annually  to  be  at  the  service  of 
the  king,  so  long  as  he  should  sacrifice  the  interests  of  his  own 
country  to  those  of  France. 

8.  Charles  no  longer  hesitated ;  his  pleasures  were  very  expensive, 
and  money  was  hard  to  be  obtained  from  his  subjects  for  such  vile 
uses.  A  secret  treaty  was  made  between  the  two  monarchs,  by  which 
Charles  became  the  pensioner  of  Louis.  War  was  declared  against 
Holland.  The  chief  distinction  gained  by  the  English  in  this  war 
was  upon  the  sea.  The  Duke  of  York  commanded  the  fleet,  and 
under  him  were  Prince  Rupert  and  Lord  Sandwich. 

4.  Who  governed  after  Clarendon's  disgrace?  What  was  the  Cabal?  5.  What  of  th« 
British  power  on  the  ocean?    Who  were  the  naval  commanders?    7.  ITow  was  Chario* 


346  HABEAS   CORPUS. 1679. 

9.  In  1674,  the  Cabal  was  broken  up  by  the  death  of  Clifford,  and 
the  disgrace  of  Ashley,  now  become  Lord  Shaftesbury.  Honester 
ministers  came  into  place;  peace  was  made  with  Holland;  but 
Charles  still  maintained  his  secret  treaty  with  Louis,  and  rendered 
such  services  as  might  entitle  him  to  his  annual  pay.  This  treaty 
with  France  was,  as  we  have  said,  secret,  and  the  receipt  of  money 
by  him  from  Louis  was  also  secret ;  but  his  manifest  predilection 
for  that  country  excited  distrust  among  his  subjects,  and  he  and  the 
parliament  were  on  very  bad  terms. 

10.  This  parliament,  which  had  assembled  in  1660,  in  all  the  in- 
toxication of  joy,  loyalty,  and  hope,  which  it  was  natural  to  feel  at 
the  king's  restoration,  was  dissolved  in  1678,  and  separated  with 
feelings  of  severe  disappointment  at  his  utter  want  of  conduct  and 
principle.  The  king  was  supposed  to  be  a  papist  at  heart,  and  the 
Duke  of  York,  who  was  heir  to  the  throne,  was  an  avowed  papist. 
The  people,  who  entertained  as  great  a  horror  of  popery  as  ever, 
were  naturally  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  the  Protestant  church. 

11.  The  king  must  have  money,  and  so  he  was  compelled  to  sum- 
mon a  new  parliament  to  pass  a  law  authorizing  him  to  collect  taxes. 
No  sooner  was  it  assembled,  than  an  attempt  was  made  in  the  house 
of  commons  to  pass  a  law  excluding  the  Duke  of  York  from  the 
throne,  and  settling  the  succession  upon  his  daughter  Mary,  who 
was  now  married  to  her  cousin  William,  Prince  of  Orange.  This 
attempt  was  not  successful. 

12.  This  parliament  is  memorable  for  passing  what  is  called  the 
Habeas  Corpus  law,  by  which  enactment,  it  was  rendered  illegal  to 
detain  any  person  in  prison,  unless  he  were  accused  of  some  specific 
offence,  for  which  he  was  by  law  subject  to  punishment;  it  also 
secured  to  all  a  prompt  trial.  Thus  it  affords  a  complete  protection 
against  arbitrary  punishment.  Every  person  who  is  imprisoned  has 
a  right  to  demand  to  be  brought  before  some  magistrate,  who  is 
bound  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  his  imprisonment,  and  if  it  shall 
appear  to  be  insufficient,  is  required  to  set  him  at  liberty. 

13.  The  judge,  upon  the  demand  of  the  prisoner,  issues  an  order, 
technically  called  a  writ,  commanding  the  jailer  to  have  the  body  of 
the  prisoner  brought  before  him,  &c.  These  writs  were  formerly  in 
Latin,  and  the  two  first  words  were  Habeas  Corpus;  and  hence  the 
name  commonly  given  to  the  law.  This  law  has  been  adopted  from 
England  by  each  of  the  United  States ;  and  it  can  only  be  set  aside 
in  cases  of  rebellion  or  war. 

persuaded  to  renew  the  war  with  Holland?  9.  When,  and  by  what  event,  was  the  Calia^ 
broken  up?  What  jf  the  state  of  feeling  in  England?  11.  What  attempt  did  the  new 
parliament  make ?    12,13.  What  of  the  Habeas  Corpus  act? 

L.    i„f. 


ORIGIN    OF    TilE   TERMS    WHIG    AND    TORY. 1680.        347 


CHAPTEB?  CLXXXIII. 

Orifjhi  qf,f.hp^  jf^TW  Wh''9  (i%d,TiMf — Distracted  State  of  the  Country 
—  ^'he  JRye-house  Plot. — Death  of  Russell  and  Sydney. — Death  oj 
Charles  II. — His  Habits. — Fashions  of  Dress. 

1.  The  country  was  now  divided  into  two  parties;  those  who 
wished  to  exclude  the  Duke  of  York  from  the  throne,  and  those  who 
were  opposed  to  this  measure.  This  was  a  renewal  of  the  old  strug- 
gle between  the  people  and  the  court,  which  had  resulted  before  in 
the  death  of  Charles  I.  and  the  establishment  of  the  Commonwealth. 
The  two  parties,  which  had  hitherto  been  distinguished  as  the  court 
party  and^  the  country  party,  in  1680  received  designations  which 
have  continued  to  this  day. 

2.  The  court  party  reproached  their  antagonists  with  being  no 
better  than  Whigs,  a  name  by  which  certain  religious  fanatics  in 
Scotland  were  known.  The  country  party  found  a  resemblance 
between  the  courtiers  and  certain  banditti  in  Ireland,  to!  whom  the 
appellation  Tory  was  affixed.  These  names,  which  were  at  first 
terms  of  reproach,  were  soon  generally  used  to  distinguish  the  two 
parties,  and  we  shall  adopt  them  for  the  future. 

3.  The  whigs  were  the  strongest  in  numbers,  and  they  received 
daily  accessions;  for  the  conduct  of  the  king  and  his  brother  gave 
more  and  more  dissatisfaction.  While  the  country  was  thus  filled 
with  discontent  and  apprehension,  the  king  was  urged  by  the  vin- 
dictive temper  of  the  duke  to  exercise  severities  foreign  to  his 
nature,  and  many  persons  were  taken  up  and  executed,  on  sus- 
picion of  being  engaged  in  plots  against  his  ni'ajesty's  life.  One  of 
these  persons  was  Lord  William  Russell,  a  nobleman  of  high  cha- 
racter, who  was  accused  of  being  concerned  in  what  was  called  the 
Rye-house  plot,  from  the  name  of  a  house  where  the  conspirators 
held  their  meetings. 

4.  The  witnesses  against  him  were  of  the  most  infamous  charac- 
ter ;  but  Russell  was  condemned  and  executed.  Algernon  Sydney, 
whom  we  have  before  mentioned,  was  also  tried  and  executed. 
Nothing  was  proved  against  him,  but  he  was  known  to  be  attached 
to  republican  principles,  and  that  was  sufficient  reason  for  suspect- 
ing him  of  a  design  to  murder  the  king. 

5.  These  executions  were  in  some  degree  in  retaliation  of  the  ex- 
ecution of  certain  papist  friends  of  the  Duke  of  York,  who,  five 
years  before,  in  1678,  had  been  condemned  and  beheaded  on  the 
charge  of  a  design  to  introduce  popery ;  the  chief  Avitness  against 
them  being  Titus  Gates,  a  man  of  infamous  character.  Though  the 
king  permitted  these  things  to  be  done,  he  does  not  appear  to  have 
approved  of  them,  and  often  opposed  his  brother's  violent  counsels. 

CLXXXIII. — 1.  Into  wliat  parties  was  England  divided?  2,  Whence  were  tlie  names 
derived?  3.  To  wliat  \v;is  the  king  urged  by  his  brother?  What  of  Lord  Wiliianr 
Russtdl  ?     4.  Wliat    of   Si^ydney  ?     5.  For    wliat    were    these  executions   a  retaliation  f 


348  DEATH    OF    CHAIILES   II. — 1685. 

6.  One  day  he  said  to  him,  "  Brother,  I  am  too  old  to  go  again 
on  my  tf-ave.s;  you  may,  if  you  choose  it," — meaning  that  the 
measures  which  the  duke  wished  him  to  pursue  would  provoke  the 
people  to  open  rebellion.  Charles*,  though  he  was  so  careless  and 
idle,  had  good  sense;  he  plainly  perceived  the  discontents  that 
were  rising,  and  we  are  assured  that  he  had  determined  to  take  the 
best  way  of  appeasing  them,  by  dismissing  his  bad  advisers. 

7.  But  he  had  no  opportunity  of  trying  the  experiment ;  for  in  the 
midst  of  a  life  of  vicious  indulgence,  he  was  attacked  by  apoplexy, 
and  died,  after  a  few  days'  illness,  February  6th,  1685,  in  the  fifty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  twenty-fifth  of  his  reign.  He  married 
Catharine  of  Braganza,  by  whom  he  had  no  children.  _  The  charac- 
ter of  Charles  was  very  well  portrayed  in  a  lively  epigram,  which 
was  made  on  him  while  yet  alive  by  one  of  the  wits  of  his  court : 

/  8.  "Here  lies  our  sovereign  lord,  the  king, 

Whose  word  no  man  relies  on; 
Who  never  said  a  foolish  thing, 
And  never  did  a  wise  one." 

This  was  shown  to  Charles,  and  he  said,  in  his  pleasant  way,  that 
it  was  very  true ;  for  his  words  were  his  own,  but  his  actions  were 
his  ministers'. 

9.  His  agreeable  manners  made  him  a  greater  favorite  with  the 
people  than  he  deserved  to  be.  He  would  sit  for  hours  on  the 
benches  in  St.  James'  Park,  amusing  himself  with  some  tame  ducks 
and  his  dogs,  amidst  a  crowd  of  people,  with  whom  he  would  talk 
and  joke.  These  dogs  were  a  particular  breed  of  spaniels,  of  which 
Charles  was  most  troublesomely  fond. 

10.  He  had  so  many  in  his  bedroom  and  other  apartments,  that 
Mr.  Evelyn  says  the  whole  palace  was  made  offensive  and  disagree- 
able by  them.  This  particular  breed  were  called  King  Charles' 
dogs,  and  have  been  very  much  in  request.  It  is  believed  that 
none  of  the  true  breed  are  now  left,  except  some  beautiful  black 
and  tan  spaniels,  which  belonged  to  tjae  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and 
which  used  to  riot  over  Arundel  Castle,  one  of  his  residences,  much 
in  the  same  wav  in  which  their  ancestors  racketed  about  the  palace 
at  Whitehall. 

11.  The  Restoration  brought  as  great  a  revolution  in  dress  as  in 
government  or  manners.  The  precise,  plain  attire  of  the  puritans 
gave  place  to  ribands,  and  feathers,  and  shoulder-knots.  Shoe- 
buckh^s  became  the  rage,  but  those  who  affected  plainness  in  their 
dress  continued  to  wear  strings.  To  avoid  as  much  as  possible  the 
imputation  of  being  a  round-head,  the  loyal  subjects  wore  long 
flowing  wigs  of  curled  and  frizzled  false  hair.  Men  of  tender  con- 
sciences were  greatly  scandalized  at  this  fashion,  considering  it 
more  indecent  than  long  hair,  because  it  was  unnatural. , 

12.  Many  preachers  held  forth  against  it  in  their  sermons,  and  cut 
their  own  hair  shorter  to  express  their  abhorrence  of  it.  It  was  ob- 
served that  a  periwig  gave  an  appearance  of  dignity,  and  procured  for 

What  were  the  king's  feelings?  How  did  he  express  them?  7.  When  did  Charles  die? 
In  what  year  of  his  age?     Of  liis  reign?     8.  Wluit  epigram  was  made  on  him  ?     9.  Wha* 


POETS  AKD  PHILOSOrHEKS  OF  THE  TIME  OF  CHARLES  II.    349 

the  wearers  .i  respect  to  which  they  were  strangers  before.  The 
judges  and  physicians,  who  thoroughly  understood  the  magic  powei 
of  a  wig,  gave  it  all  the  advantage  of  length  as  well  as  size,  for  they 
enveloped  the  upper  parts  of  the  body  in  a  huge  mass  of  hair  three 
feet  in  length. 

13.  Wigs,  however,  established  themselves  in  the  public  favor,  and 
maintained  their  place  till  the  middle  of  the  last  century.  Young 
boys  even  were  emulous  of  wearing  them.  A  hair-dressei,  in  her 
advertisement — for  the  artists  were  sometimes  females — boasts  that 
she  could  cut  and  curl  boys'  hair  in  so  fine  a  way,  that  it  should  be 
impossible  to  distinguish  it  from  a  wig. 

14.  The  ladies'  heads,  too,  were  frizzled  and  curled  with  the  nicest 
art,  and  they  frequently  set  them  off  with  heart-breakers.  Sometimes  a 
string  of  pearls  or  an  ornament  of  ribbon  was  worn  on  the  head ;  and, 
in  the  latter  part  of  this  reign,  hoods  of  various  kinds  were  in  fashion. 
We  cannot  answer  for  the  prevalence  of  blue  stockings,  but  we  are 
told  that  one  of  the  court  beauties  sometimes  sported  green. 


Of  theJ^ti 


CHAPTEE  CLXXXIV. 


0/  th^J^isj(iM.Milm^^rM.'Ui&o^M^^^^  fm^^xi^:^^€!karim  II.-- 

Many  new  Manufactures  introduced  into  England. 

1.  As  may  be  readily  supposed,  the  gay  court  of  Charles  was  not 
without  its  poets.     But  their  verses,  for  the  most  part,  were  grossly 
infected  by  the  prevailing  licentiousness.     Waller,  however,  who  has 
been  styled  the  parent  of  English  verse,  was  a  man  of  respectable      S;^^ 
character.     He  was  a  friend  of  Cromwell,  and  some  of  his  best  s   ^\ 
verses  are  a   panegyric   upon   the  protector.     Cowley  was  morevX 
praised  and  admired  during  his  lifetime  than  the  great  Milton;  yet ^  •     •; 
his  verses  are  as  harsh  as  Waller's  are  smooth.  ^\r\V 

2.  But  of  all  the  poets  who  flourished  during  this  period,  John 
Dryden,  "glorious  John,"  as  he  was  called,  is,  next  to  Milton,  the 
most  esteemed  at  the  present  time.     He  was  born  in  1631,  and  did       ,^  J 
not  die  till  1701.     He  was  somewhat  of  a  time-server,  for  in  1658     ^^M\ 


^^ 


\* 


I 


i 


we  find  him  writing  verses  extolling  the  protector,  and  in  1660  he        (\\ 
hails  the  return  of  Charles  II.  in  a  poem  called  "  Astrea  Kedux." 
That  monarch  showed  his  sense  of  his  merit,  by  appointing  him,  in 
1668,  to  be  the  poet-laureate. 

3.  To  please  James  II.,  Dryden  became  a  Catholic ;  but  in  this 
he  overreached  himself;  for  when  he  was  driven  from  the  throne, 
as  we  shall  presently  see,  Dryden  lost  his  office;    he  vented  hi.' 

jfhishabits?    10.  What  of  his  dogs?    11.  What  change  in  dress?    What  of  the  new  style 
r»f  head-dress?     14.  Wliat  of  ladies'  head-dress? 
CLXXXIV.— 1.  What  poets  are  mentioned  of  Cliarles  II.'s  time?     What  of  Wall"-' 

.SO 


350    POETS  ANJ)  PHir.OSOPHERS  OF  THE  TIME  OF  CHARLES  II. 

spleen  against  his  successor  in  a  satirical  poem  called  "  Mac- 
Flecknoe."  In  his  old  age  he  wrote  the  Ode  to  St.  Cecilia,  which 
of  all  his  works  displays  the  most  imagination,  and  a  translation  of 
the  Latin  poet  Virgil's  works  into  English  verse,  which  Pope 
declared  to  be  the  most  noble  and  spirited  translation  in  any 
language. 

4.  We  have  said  so  much  about  the  corruption  of  the  times,  that 
it  might  almost  seem  there  were  no  good  men  left  in  the  kingdom. 
Yet  there  were  many  such,  even  of  those  whose  rank  brought  them 
in  contact  with  the  court.  There  was  the  Duke  of  Ormond,  and 
his  only  son,  Lord  Ossory,  who  was  the  most  popular  man  in  the 
kingdom,  as  he  was  also  one  of  the  most  virtuous.  He  died  early, 
to  the  great  grief  of  his  father  and  of  the  whole  nation. 

5.  The  bereaved  old  duke  used  to  say,  "  He  would  not  change 
his  dead  son  for  any  living  son  in  Christendom."  So  precious  to 
him  was  the  remembrance  of  his  virtues !  There  was,  likewise,  a 
little  knot  of  wise  men  who  contrived  to  enjoy  in  peace  and  quiet- 
ness the  tranquil  satisfactions  of  science  and  philosopliy.  Bishop 
Wilkins,  Mr.  Evelyn,  and  Sir  Christopher  Wren — tw3  of  whom 
have  before  been  mentioned — Mr.  Boyle,  and  a  few  others,  were  of 
this  set. 

6.  Bishop  Wilkins  was  a  man  of  great  talent  and  merit.  He  was 
the  brother-in-law  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  and  by  his  influence  with 
the  protector,  contrived  to  save  the  University  of  Oxford,  where  he 
was  head  of  one  of  the  colleges,  from  pillage.  Mr.  Evelyn  was  a 
man  of  taste  and  literature,  and  was  a  patron  of  many  artists,  whose 
merits  might  not  have  been  known  but  for  him.  He  first  brought 
Gibbons,  a  celebrated  carver  in  wood,  into  notice. 

7.  Wood-carving  naturally  suggests  to  our  minds  the  grotesque 
figures  which  once  ornamented  the  walls  of  country  churches,  and 
the  figure-heads  of  ships.  Without  seeing  them,  one  can  form  no 
idea  of  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  wreaths  of  flowers  with  which 
Gibbons  ornamented  the  walls  of  various  edifices,  and  those  of 
some  rooms  in  Windsor  Castle.  Mr.  Evelyn  was  a  great  planter  of 
trees,  and  layer-out  of  grounds.  He  wrote  a  book  on  trees,  called 
the  Sylva,  which  even  those  who  have  no  land  to  plant  may  read 
with  pleasure. 

8.  He  turned  the  attention  of  gentlemen  owning  land  to  this  sub- 
ject, and  many  millions  of  trees  were  consequently  planted ;  so  that 
he  was  a  great  benefactor  to  the  present  generation.  Robert  Boyle 
was  distinguished  for  his  ability  and  goodness,  and  devoted  his  life 
to  science  and  religion.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Royal 
Society,  the  most  distinguished  and  useful  scientific  association  in 
the  world. 

9.  None  but  men  of  the  highest  attainments  are  ac^mitted  to  this 
society ;  so  that,  to  be  a  member  of  it,  is  a  proof  of  great  merit. 
Charles  was  himself  a  lover  of  the  sciences,  particularly  of  chemistry 
and  mechanics;  but  he  encouraged  them  more  by  precept  than  by 

Of  Cowley  ?  Of  Dryden  ?  4.  What  of  the  Duke  of  Ormond  ?  What  of  his  son  ?  5.  What 
philosophers  are  mentioned?  6.  What  of  Wilkins?  Of  Evelyn?  7.  What  of  wood-carv 
ins;?     To  what  did  Mr,  Evelyn  particularly  attend ?     8.  What  of  Boyle?     What  fif  1!ie 


JAMES    II. —  1H>5.  351 

example ;  for  his  erring  courtiers  left  little  money  to  be  expended  in 
the  encouragement  of  science. 

10.  Still  the  useful  arts  made  great  progress  in  his  reign.  The  art 
of  dyeing  woollen  cloth  was  introduced  into  England  from  France, 
and  the  art  of  making  glass  from  Venice.  Manufactures  in  iron, 
brass,  silk,  hats,  paper,  &c.  were  established.  The  empire  of  Great 
Britain  in  America  was  increased  by  the  conquest  of  New  York  from 
the  Dutch,  and  by  the  settlement  of  South  Carolina  and  Pennsylvania. 


CHAPTER   CLXXXV. 

James  II.  and  his  Wife,  Maria  cC  Este. — General  Dahiel  and  his  long 
Beard. — About  Beards  in  general. 

1.  The  Duke  of  York  was  in  the  fifty-third  year  of  his  age  when 
he  succeeded  his  brother  on  the  throne  of  England,  and  took  the 
title  of  James  II.  The  Duke  of  Buckingham  used  to  say  that  the 
difference  between  James  and  his  brother  was,  that  Charles  could 
see  things,  if  he  would;  James  would  see  things,  if  lie  could;  mean- 
ing, that  Charles  possessed  a  natural  quickness,  which  enabled  him 
to  comprehend  with  facility  everything  that  he  desired  to  learn  ;  but 
that  James,  though  not  so  clever,  was  more  persevering  and  willing 
to  study. 

2.  As  he  was  very  young  when  the  civil  Avar  broke  out,  it  is  prob- 
able he  received  no  regular  education.  He  was  about  thirteen  when 
he  saw  his  father  for  the  last  time.  They  were  both  prisoners  in  the 
hands  of  the  parliament.  At  this  interview  the  king  told  him  that 
as  he  was  old  enough  to  be  trusted  with  a  secret,  he  would  tell  him 
one.  This  was,  that  Colonel  Banfield  was  to  contrive  means  of  con- 
veying him  abroad,  and  that  he  must  do  all  that  the  colonel  should 
desire,  and  be  very  discreet. 

3.  At  last,  Banfield  found  means  to  let  James,  who  was  confined 
in  St.  James'  palace,  know  that  all  was  ready,  and  that  he  would 
wait  for  him  at  one  of  the  doors  of  the  park.  James  was  allowed  to 
play  with  his  sister  Elizabeth  in  a  room  which  opened  on  a  back 
stairs  that  led  to  a  door  into  the  garden.  That  evening  they  had 
been  left  alone,  and  James  took  the  opportunity  of  running  down 
into  the  garden. 

4.  From  thence,  without  either  hat  or  cloak,  he  contrived  to  get 
unperceived  to  the  door  where  Banfield  was  waiting.  James  was 
hurried  to  a  house  not  far  off,  where  a  woman's  dress  had  been  pro- 
vided for  him.  Thus  disguised,  he  succeeded  in  getting  on  board  a 
vessel  which  was  about  to  sail  for  Holland ;  this  country  he  reached 

Roj'al  Society?    9.  What  of  Charles' love  of  science  ?     10.  What  new  manufactures  were 
introduced? 
CLXXXV  —1.  What  of  .Tames  II.?    2.  Relate  the  particulars  of  his  escar')  from  Eng- 


352  ABOUT  BEARDS  IN  GENERAL. 

in  safety,  and  was  placed  for  a  short  time  under  the  care  of  his 
sister,  the  Princess  of  Orange. 

5.  From  that  time  to  the  restoration  he  passed  many  uncomfort 
able  years,  sometimes  at  Paris  with  his  mother,  who  treated  him 
with  great  rigor,  and  sometimes  at  Bruges,  or  Bruss(4s,  in  his  brother 
Charles'  court — if  that  could  be  called  a  court  which  had  nothing 
but  high-sounding  titles  to  distinguish  it.  The  lords  of  the  bed- 
chamber had  scarcely  a  bed  to  lie  on,  and  masters  of  horse  were 
obliged  to  go  on  foot. 

6.  The  good  humor  and  easiness  of  Charles,  who  could  never  find 
a  vexation  in  anything  that  he  could  turn  into  a  joke,  did  something, 
indeed,  to  cheer  and  enliven  the  circle  which  surrounded  him.  At 
the  restoration,  James  was  made  commander  of  the  English  navy ; 
which  })Ost  suited  him,  as  he  had  great  courage,  and  was  of  an 
active,  enterprising  spirit.  He  either  invented  sea-signals  or  greatly 
improved  them,  and  made  many  beneficial  alterations  in  the  man- 
agement of  naval  affairs. 

7.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  he  married  Maria  Beatrice,  of 
Este,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Modena.  This  proved  an  unfortunate 
marriage;  for  she  was  an  ill-judging  woman,  and  meddled  indis- 
creetly in  affairs  of  state.  She  was  a  very  beautiful,  but  a  very 
proud  woman.  Of  the  latter  we  may  give  an  instance.  At  the 
time  she  was  Duchess  of  York,  the  duke  invited  old  General  Dalziel 
to  dine  with  him  ;  but  she  refused  to  sit  at  the  table  with  him,  be- 
cause he  was  a  subject ! 

8.  She  at  last  consented  to  sit  down  to  the  table,  upon  her  hus- 
band's remonstrating,  and  telling  her  that,  but  for  the  good  services 
of  such  men,  he  might  still  have  been  a  miserable  exile.  This  Gen- 
eral Dalziel  had  been  a  faithful  servant  to  Charles  L,  and  on  the 
day  his  master  was  executed,  he  made  a  vow  never  to  shave  his 
beard  again,  but  to  let  it  grow,  in  token  of  his  mourning.  He  lived 
to  be  very  old,  and  his  beard  grew  to  be  of  an  enormous  length,  and 
reached  down  to  his  girdle,  while  his  head  was  entirely  bald.  After 
the  restoration,  he  used  to  come  up  every  year  from  Scotland  to  pay 
his  respects  to  the  king. 

9.  His  grotesque  appearance  caused  much  amusement  to  the 
courtiers,  but  Charles  always  received  him  with  real  kindness,  and 
made  him  very  welcome.  It  might  be  thought  that  everybody  wore 
beards  in  old  times,  as  the  Turks  do  now ;  but  the  mode  of  dressing 
the  chin  in  England  varied  as  much  as  the  fashion  of  clothes.  The 
Normans  shaved  their  chins  close;  and  William  the  Conqueror 
almost  drove  the  Anglo-Saxons  to  desperation  by  requiring  them  to 
do  the  same. 

10.  In  the  time  of  the  Tudors  the  beard  appears  to  have  been  per- 
mitted to  grow  long ;  for  Henry  VIII.  is  always  painted  with  a  beard ; 
and  in  some  of  Holbein's  pictures  there  are  very  long  ones.  In 
Elizabeth's  reign.  Lord  Burleigh,  Lord  Essex,  and  many  others,  are 

land  at  the  commencement  of  the  civil  war.  5.  How  did  he  pass  his  time  while  out  of 
England?  What  of  Charles  II.'s  court  while  abroad?  7.  What  of  his  second  wife  I 
What  of  General  Dalziel  ?    9.  What  of  beards  ? 


JAMES   II.    SEEKS   TJ    RESTORE   POPERY. 1687. 


353 


represented  with  huge  beards  spread  out,  and  cut  square  at  the  bot- 
tom ;  but  in  the  time  of  Charles  I.,  the  beard  was  reduced  to  a  little 
pointed  lock  on  the  chin,  which  was  thought  to  give  rather  a  fine 
expression  to  the  countenance,  except  when  qualified,  as  it  gener- 
ally was,  by  two  fierce  mustachios  on  the  upper  lip. 


'•^ 


CHAPTER  CLXXXVI. 

,.v»^o  jj  ^^^^^^^  fQ  ff^^"  'Pq^^'x — Great  Onielties  practised  by  Jeffrxs 
and  Kirk  in  consequence  of  Monmouth's  Rebellion. — Rash  Conduct       n   \ 
of  James. —  The  Prince  of  Orange  invades  England. — James  flies  to  Ha^^ 
France.  '  "     ""  ~~ 


BISHOPS  SENT  TO  THE  TOWEK  BY  JAMES  II. 

1.  James,  as  soon  as  he  came  to  the  throne,  declared  his  inten- 
tion of  maintaining  the  existing  laws,  both  in  church  and  state ; 
and,  as  he  had  always  been  found  sincere,  this  declaration  served 
greatly  to  tranquillize  the  minds  of  the  people.  Yet,  notwithstand- 
ing this,  he  soon  after  aent  a  Catholic  priest  to  Rome  to  negotiate  a 
reunion  with  that  church.  The  pope.  Innocent  XI.,  had  more 
prii^hce  than  James,  and  advised  him  to  attempt  nothing  rashly. 

2.  The  king's  security  was  much  increased  by  the  suppression  of  a 
rebellion  which  had  broken  out,  headed  by  the  Duke  of  Monmouth. 


CLXXXVI.-l. 
30* 


Wb^  was  James'  declaration  to  his  subjects?    How  did  his  acts  con- 


354     THE    PRINCE   OF    ORANGE    INVADES    ENGLAND. 16S&. 

The  punishment  of  the  rebels  was  very  severe ;  and  the  cruelties 
perpetrated  by  Judge  Jeffries  and  Colonel  Kirk,  have  left  indelible 
stains  on  their  memories,  and  on  the  memory  of  James  II.  Having 
by  this  means,  as  he  supposed,  suppressed  the  discontents  of  his  sub- 
jects, the  king  thought  the  way  clear  for  the  restoration  of  popery. 

3.  Being  led  on  by  the  rash  counsels  of  his  confessor,  and  the 
vehemence  of  the  queen,  he  removed  many  Protestants  from  their 
offices,  both  in  church  and  state,  and  filled  their  places  with  Catho- 
lics. In  one  instance  he  sent  six  bishops  to  the  Tower,  for  a  mild 
remonstrance  against  his  measures.  So  severe  was  he,  that  his 
friends,  the  Catholics,  thought  his  conduct  dangerous  and  ill  judged. 
At  last  the  pope  sent  a  nuncio,  as  his  ambassador  is  called,  to  Eng- 
land, warning  the  king  of  the  imprudence  of  his  conduct. 

4.  There  was  one  great  drawback  on  ttie  king's  zeal  for  the  restora- 
tion of  popery.  He  had  no  son,  and  the  Princess  of  Orange,  who 
would  succeed  him,  was  a  Protestant;  indeed,  her  husband  was 
looked  up  to  as  the  great  support  of  the  reformed  religion  in  Europe. 
All  that  James  might  do  would,  therefore,  l)e  undone  immediately 
after  hLs  death.  His  hopes,  therefore,  rested  upon  having  a  son ; 
and  when,  on  the  10th  of  June,  1688,  the  desired  event  happened, 
he  thought  that  everything  would  result  according  to  his  wishes. 

5.  This  very  event,  however,  hastened  his  own  expulsion  from  the 
throne;  for  the  people,  who  had  been  cheered  by  the  hope  of  a  Prot- 
estant sovereign  after  James'  death,  now  seeing  themselves  cut  off 
from  any  further  indulgence  of  this. expectation,  became  anxious 
for  the  king's  dethronement;  and  many  persons  of  rank  entered 
into  secret  negotiations  with  the  Prince  of  Orange.  Meanwhile, 
James'  conduct  seemed  nothing  but  a  course  of  blind  infatuation. 

6.  At  last,  his  ambassador  in  Holland  sent  to  warn  him  that  he 
might  expect  an  invasion  from  that  country.  The  letter  fell  from 
his  hand,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he  recovered  the  power  of 
thinking  and  acting.  AVhen  at  last  he  roused  himself  from  this 
state  of  consternation,  the  only  means  that  occurred  to  him  of  avert- 
ing the  impending  storm  was  to  retract  some  of  his  late  obnoxious 
measures.  But  these  concessions  gained  him  no  credit,  and  were 
attributed  only  to  fear. 

7.  At  this  juncture  a  declaration  from  the  Prince  of  Orange,  that 
he  was  coming  to  England  to  redress  their  grievances,  was  received 
with  joy  by  the  people  throughout  the  kingdom.  William  landed 
at  Torbay,  November  5th,  1688.  The  whole  "country  was  soon  in 
commotion.  The  people  combined  almost  universally  against  their 
misjudging  and  ill-advised  king.  The  nobility,  one  after  another, 
joined  the  invader.  Even  those  upon  whom  James  thought  he 
could  most  surely  rely  deserted  him;  Prince  George,  of  Denmark, 
who  had  married  his  daughter  Anne,  among  the  rest. 

8.  This  princess  herself  left  London.  When  the  news  of  her  de- 
parture was  brought  to  the  poor  monarch,  he  burst  into  tears.    "  God 

form  to  it?  2.  What  of  Monmouth's  rebellion  ?  What  of  Jeffries  and  Kirk?  3,  Who 
were  James'  advisers  ?  4.  What  drawback  to  James'  zeal  ?  Wa?  this  removed?  5.  What 
were  the  consequen!  es  ?     6.  What  priest  w-arned  James  of  his  ila»i|ivr?     How  did  he  seeV 


JAMEte    ESCAPES    TO    PRANCE. 1G88. 


35^ 


help  me,"  he  exclaimed,  "  my  own  children  have  foi-saken  me."  In 
the  extremity  of  perplexity  and  dismay,  he  assembled  the  few  noble- 
men who  had  not  yet  deserted  him.  'Addressing  the  Earl  of  Bed- 
ford, father  of  Lord  William  Eussell,  who,  it  will  be  recollected, 
was  executed  by  James'  intrigues  in  the  preceding  reign,  "My  loi'd," 
said  he,  "you  are  an  honest  man,  have  great  credit,  and  can  do  me 
signal  service." 


LANDING  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  ORANGE. 

9.  "Ah,  sir,"  replied  the  earl,  "  I  am  old  and  feeble ;  I  can  do  but 
little  service;  but  I  once  had  a  son  that  could  have  assisted  you,  but 
he  is  no  more."  The  king  was  now  left  to  the  influence  of  the  priests 
and  the  queen,  who  were  continually  urging  him  to  flight,  holding 
up  the  fate  of  Charles  I.  as  a  warning.  Yielding  to  their  fears  and 
clamors,  he  forbore  to  make  one  eflbrt  to  preserve  his  throne.  Send- 
ing his  wife  and  infant  son  secretly  away,  he  himself  left  London 
on  the  12th  of  December,  attended  only  by  Sir  Edward  Hales. 

10.  His  intention  was  to  get  oif  board  a  ship  at  Sheerness,  and  to 
escape  into  France.  But  he  was  stopped  at  Feversham,  and  led 
back  to  London,  much  to  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
who  had  promised  his  wife  that  her  father  should  receive  no  per- 
sonal injury.  William  therefore  secretly  assisted  James  in  a  second 
attempt  to  escape.  On  the  25th  of  December  he  landed  in  France, 
and  proceeded  to  St.  Germain,  near  Paris,  where  he  was  received  by 
Louis  XIV.  with  great  generosity  and  commiseration.  He  had 
reigned  three  years. 


to  avert  it?     With  what  effect ?    7.  When  did  William  land  in  England?     IIow  was  he 
received?    9.  Relate  the  remainder  of  James'  story. 


356  revglut:on  of  ip-:>. 

famly  of  james  ii. 

WIVES. 

(1.  Anne  Hyde,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Clarendon. 
2.   Maria  D'Este,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Modena. 

CHILDREN. 
Mary,  married  to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  ]  oi-u  r   »         tt    i 

Anne,  married  to  Prince  George,  of  Denmark,  j  Children  of  Anne  Hyde. 
.James  Francis  Edward,  called  the  Pretender, 

;Miiria  Louisa,  who  was  to  have  been  a  nun,       }•  Children  of  Maria  D'Estft 
but  death  prevented, 


CHAPTER  CLXXXVII. 

The  Jievohitiqii  gf  l§^^, —  William  and  Mary  called  to  the  Throne.— 
y^iam  maFel  himself  very  disagreeable  to  the  P^ 

1.  The  country  was  now  virtually  without  any  government. 
Parliament  was  assembled  as  speedily  as  possible.  After  a  long 
contest  between  the  whigs  and  tories,  it  was  finally  decreed  that  the 
throne  was  vacant  by  the  abdication  of  James  II.  They  proceeded 
to  fill  it,  by  making  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Orange  joint  sover- 
eigns, and  they  took  the  title  of  William  and  Mary.  They  received 
the  crown  upon  certain  terms  set  forth  in  what  is  called  the  "  Bill 
of  Rights." 

2.  By  this  "  Bill,"  the  powers  of  the  sovereign  and  the  rights  of 
the  people  were  defined ;  thus  settling  the  questions  which  had  so 
long  vexed  the  nation.  In  case  these  sovereigns  died  without  leav- 
ing children,  the  Princess  Anne  was  to  succeed ;  and  in  1701,  when 
it  had  become  probable  that  this  princess  would  die,  leaving  no 
family,  a  further  law  was  passed,  settling  the  crown  on  Sophia, 
wife  of  the  Elector  of  Hanover,  and  her  descendants,  being  Pro- 
testants. 

3.  Sophia  was  the  grand-daughter  of  James  L,  being  the  daughter 
of  the  Queen  of  Bohemia,  as  she  was  called,  from  an  imaginary 
dignity  assumed  by  her  husband.  Thus  resolute  were  the  parliament 
in  excluding  the  Prince  of  Wales';  whom  many,  without  any  reason, 
declared  not  to  be  the  son  of  James  and  Maria  D'Este,  but  an 
infant  acknowledged  by  them  for  the  purpose  of  depriving  Mary  of 
her  right  to  the  succession. 

4.  The  abdication  of  James  II.  and  the  election  of  William  and 
Mary,  are  called  The  Eevolution  of  1688.  William  III.  was  in  his 
tliirty-ninth  year  when  called  to  the  throne.  He  was  of  middle  height, 
and  very  thin.   It  is  said  that  he  was  so  feeble,  that  he  was  commonly 

CLXXXVII.— 1.  What  did  parliament  do  after  James  II.  left  England?  2.  What  is  the 
Bill  of  Rights?  Upon  whom  was  the  crown  settled  if  William  and  Mary  left  no  cln'ldren? 
i.  What  was  the  change  in  sovereigns  called?    What  of  William  III,?    6.  What  of  Maryl 


WILLIAM    AND    MARY    CALLED   TO   THE   THRONE. 1688.    357 

obliged ^to  be  lifted  on  horseback;  but  that,  when  once  mounted, 
he  managed  his  horse  with  admirable  skill,  and  seemed  as  if  he  im- 
bibed the  strength  and  spirit  of  the  animal  he  rode.  He  had  an 
aquiline  nost,  a  high  forehead,  fine  eyes,  and  a  very  grave  aspect. 

5.  His  countenance  was  an  index  to  his  mind;  for  he  was  gravity 
itself;  cold  and  inflexible;  reserved,  but  not  artful.  Nothing  en- 
livened him  but  the  animation  of  a  battle.  He  then  seemed  to  put 
on  a  different  nature,  and  was  full  of  spirit  and  alacrity.  His 
chief  favorites  were  two  Dutchmen,  Bentinck,  whom  he  created 
Duke  of  Portland,  and  De  Ginkel,  whom  he  made  Earl  of  Athlone. 
They  were  able  men,  and  much  respected,  and  faithful  servants  to 
the  king,  who  was  as  grave  and  reserved  with  them  as  with  every- 
body else. 

6.  Mary  had  a  fine  person,  with  an  engaging  countenance,  accom- 
panied by  an  air  of  great  dignity.  She  had  a  good  understanding, 
tvhich  she  had  cultivated  by  reading.  She  took  great  delight  in  the 
conversation  of  learned  and  pious  men,  especially  of  John  Tillot- 
son.  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  a  truly  good  man,  who  died  in 
1694.  Mary  was  also  fond  of  needle-work,  and  introduced  the 
fashion,  which  was  so  prevalent  a  hundred  years  ago,  of  working 
tent-stitch,  and  cross-stitch  for  carpets  and  chair-cushions. 

7.  The  example  of  the  queen  would  seem  to  have  had  great  influ- 
ence over  female  manners ;  for,  before  her  time,  the  ladies  of  Eng- 
land were  remarkable  for  being  never  employed..|rWilliam  had  not 
been  long  King  of  England  before  he  and  his  new' subjects  became 
mutually  discontented  with  each  other.  He  had  been  bred  in  camps, 
and  was  accustomed  to  the  implicit  obedience  which  is  always  paid 
to  a  general.  He  found  the  management  of  a  free  people  so  trouble- 
some, that  at  one  time  he  was  very  near  resigning  the  crown  in 
disgust. 

8.  The  English,  on  their  side,  were  out  of  humor  with  a  monarch 
who,  instead  of  living  among  them  in  a  social  way,  as  former  sover- 
eigns were  wont  to  do,  spent  most  of  his  time  either  alone  in  his 
closet,  or  at  a  camp  he  had  formed  near  Hounslow ;  and  when  he 
did  show  himself  in  his  court,  appeared  sullen  and  out  of  humor. 
Another  ground  of  complaint,  was  his  partiality  for  his  native 
country,  to  avenge  whose  quarrels  he  was  willing  to  involve  Eng- 
land in  a  war  with  France. 

Vhat  fashion  did  she  introduce  ?  7.  What  of  the  feeling  of  William  towards  the  peopl*  ? 
5   What  was  th  e  feeling  of  the  people  ? 


358  THE    MASSACRE    OF    GLENCOE. — 1690. 


CHAPTEK  OLXXXVIII. 

The  Highlanders  refuse  to  acknowledge  William  and  Mary. —  Thi 
Afn.^snrrp.  qf  Ol^i\o.^p. — French  Troops  invade  Ireland. — Battle  of  the 
Boyne. — Death  of  James  11. 

1.  The  neighboring  countries  of  Scotland  and  Ireland  did  'not 
s^ubmit  so  quietly  as  England  to  the  rule  of  the  new  sovereigns. 
The  parliament  of  Scotland  had,  indeed,  declared  their  throne  to 
be  vacant,  and  offered  it  to  William  and  Mary.  But  a  consider- 
able portion  of  those  Scots  who  inhabit  the  mountainous  parts  of 
Scotland,  and  are  hence  called  Highlanders,  refused  to  abandon 
their  old  sovereign.  These  people  were  at  that  time  not  much 
more  civilized  than  our  Indians. 

2.  Their  chief  delight  was  in  war  and  in  hunting.  They  were 
very  strict  in  keeping  up  relationships;  and  all  persons  who  were 
descended  on  the  father's  side  from  the  same  ancestors  were  consid- 
ered as  belonging  to  one  family  or  clan.  The  head  of  the  family 
was  the  chief  of  the  clan.  The  attachment  which  the  rest  bore  to 
the  chief  was  of  the  most  ardent  kind,  and  they  were  always  ready 
to  follow  wherever  he  chose  to  lead  them. 

3.  Lord  Dundee  and  other  chiefs,  taking  the  part  of  James,  sum- 
moned their  clansmen  to  follow  them.  They  met  and  defeated  a 
large  body  of  William's  troops  at  Killicrankie.  Dundee  himself 
was,  however,  killed,  and  his  death  so  broke  the  spirit  of  the  High- 
landers, that  the  different  clans  in  a  short  time  submitted  to  the 
authority  of  William.  A  general  pardon  was  offered  to  all  who 
should  take  the  oath  of  allegiance — ^that  is,  should  swear  to  obey 
jWilliam — on  or  before  a  particular  day. 

4.  Macdonald,  of  Glencoe,  a  Highland  chief,  had  put  off  taking 
[the  oath  till  the  last  day,  and  then,  unfortunately  mistaking  the  place 
where  it  was  to  be  received,  went  to  Fort  William  instead  of  In verary . 
When  he  found  his  error  he  set  off  in  all  haste  for  In  verary ;  but  the 
roads  being  bad  and  the  snow  deep  on  the  ground,  he  did  not  arrive 
there  till  after  the  stated  day.  In  consideration,  however,  of  the 
circumstances,  he  and  his  clan  were  allowed  to  take  the  oath,  and 
returned  home  feeling  secure  of  pardon  and  protection. 

5.  The  Earl  of  Breadalbane,  chief  of  one  branch  of  the  Campbells, 
Ijad  a  private  pique  against  Macdonald,  and  had  savagely  sworn  to 
effect  his  destruction.  Under  color  of  his  having  refused  to  take  at 
the  proper  time  the  required  oath,  he  represented  him  to  the  king 
as  an  obstinate  rebel.  The  Earl  of  Stair,  the  secretary  of  state  for 
Scotland,  seems  to  have  joined  also  in  the  horrible  plot.  In  conse- 
quence of  their  representations,  William  granted  a  warrant  for  the 
destruction,  not  only  of  Macdonald,  but  of  his  whole  clan. 

6.  A  party  of  the  Campbells  were  sent  to  Glencoe.    They  were 

CLXXXVIII. — 1.  Did  Scotland  and  Ireland  submit  to  the  new  sovereigns?  What  of 
the  Highlanders?    3.  What  of  their  success  in  James'  cause?    4,  5.  6.  Relate  the  pa'- 


INVASION    OF    IRELAND. 1690.  359 

received  by  the  Macdonalds  as  friends,  and  stayed  with  tliem  nearly 
a  fortnight.  At  length,  supposing  that  the  passes  of  the  mountains 
were  stopped  by  troops,  they  fell  like  butchers  on  the  unwarned  and 
unsuspecting  Macdonalds.  Nearly  forty  persons  were  massacred 
The  rest  made  their  escape,  the  severity  of  the  weather  having  pre- 
vented the  troops  from  actually  closing  the  passes. 

7.  Many  of  those  who  had  thus  escaped  for  the  present,  perished 
afterwards  by  famine,  by  exposure  to  the  weather,  or  died  of  grief. 
Tiiis  shocking  outrage  caused  a  general  detestation  of  William's 
-ovornment,  and  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  series  of  troubles  in 
Scotland.  The  king  tried  to  excuse  himself  by  saying  that  he  signed 
the  fatal  warrant  in  the  hurry  of  business,  without  being  aware  of* 
its  full  import. 

8.  Louis  XIV.  of  France  had  a  great  passion  for  military  glory, 
and  for  conquering  other  countries ;  but  of  late  years  his  projects  had 
been  defeated,  chiefly  by  the  sagacity  and  courage  of  William  while 
yet  Prince  of  Orange.  Louis  was  very  ready,  therefore,  to  assist 
James  in  humbling  this  rival,  and  furnished  him  with  a  body  of 
troops,  with  which  he  landed  in  Ireland,  where  the  people,  who  were 
for  tlie  most  part  Papists,  received  him  with  gladness. 

9.  Londonderry,  which  was  occupied  by  Protestants,  held  out  for 
William.  James  laid  siege  to  it ;  but  the  people,  after  being  reduced 
to  the  utmost  extremity  for  want  of  food,  were  finally  relieved..  At 
length  William  came  over  to  Ireland,  at  the  head  of  a  large  army. 
The  hostile  forces,  commanded  by  the  rivals  for  the  crown  in  person, 
came  in  si^ht  of  each  other  on  opposite  sides  of  the  river  Boyne,  on 
the  29th  of  June,  1690.  William  had  a  narrow  escape;  for,  whilst 
taking  a  survey  of  the  enemy,  a  cannon-ball  killed  two  persons 
standing  near,  and  slightly  wounded  him  also. 

10.  The  decisive  battle  was  fought  the  next  day.  William,  who 
led  his  troops  in  person  to  the  attack,  remained  master  of  the  field. 
James  watched  the  progress  of  the  battle  from  a  neighboring  hill. 
He  was  frequently  heard  to  exclaim,  "  Oh !  spare  my  English  sub- 
jects!" for,  though  fighting  against  him,  he  could  not  bear  to  see 
them  slain.  When  he  saw  his  troops  give  way,  he  turned  his  horse's 
head  towards  Dublin,  and  fled  without  making  one  effort  to  retrieve 
the  fortune  of  the  day. 

11.  He  had  now  lost  all  the  resolution  and  activity  which  had 
distinguished  him  in  the  former  part  of  his  life ;  his  mind  seemed  to 
be  entirely  subdued.  When  he  arrived  at  Dublin  he  assembled  the 
magistrates  and  announced  to  them  his  intention  of  abandoning  the 
country.  In  a  few  days  he  sailed  for  France,  and  there  passed  the 
rest  of  his  life,  practising  the  austerities  of  a  monk.  He  died  in 
1701.  After  the  battle  of  the  Boyne,  the  Jacobites,  as  the  partisans 
of  James  were  called,  made  no  very  serious  attempt  to  overthrow 
the  power  of  William. 

ticulars  of  the  massacre  of  Gloncoe.  '  7,  What  of  the  king's  part  in  the  outrage?  8.  What 
of  Louis  XIV.?  9.  When  was  the  battle  of  the  Boyne  fought?  Between  whom?  la 
What  of  .Tames'  conduct  during  the  battle?    11.  What  were  his  partisans  called? 


860  DEATH    OF    MARY. — 16:4.       OF    WILLIAM. 1702. 


CHAPTER    CLXXXIX. 

Peace  of  Ryswick. — Death  of  Mary ;  of  William. — Peter  the  Greafi 
V'^^^IP  Engla&d. — Evelyn^ s  Garden  at  Sayes  Court. 

1.  As  the  three  kingdoms  were  now  reduced  to  submission,  Wil- 
liam was  at  liberty  to  attend  personally  to  the  conduct  of  the  war 
on  the  continent  of  Europe.  Leaving  England  in  January,  1691,  he 
tended  in  Holland,  narrowly  escaping  death  by  drowning ;  for,  in  his 
impatience,  he  had  attempted  to  land  from  his  ship  when  she  was 
at  a  distance  from  the  shore,  in  an  open  boat ;  but  the  wind  rising, 
he  was  tossed  about  for  eighteen  hours.  He  spent  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  next  three  years  on  the  continent, 

2.  During  his  absence  Queen  Mary  governed  the  kingdom  with 
great  firmness  and  judgment,  and  at  the  same  time  with  great  mild- 
ness. She  endeared  herself  much  to  the  people,  who  sincerely 
lamented  her  death,  which  was  occasioned  by  the  small-pox,  Decem- 
ber 28th,  1694.  William  was  in  England  at  the  time,  and  suffered 
as  much  from  the  event  as  his  cold  temper  would  permit.  He  re- 
turned to  the  continent,  and  continued  the  war  against  France  till 
1697,  when  the  peace  of  Ryswick,  as  it  is  called,  because  concluded 
at  that  place,  restored  tranquillity  to  Europe. 

3.  This  endured,  however,  but  a  short  time,  and  William  was 
making  active  preparations  for  a  renewal  of  hostilities  against  France, 
when  an  accident  put  an  end  to  his  life.  On  the  21st  of  February, 
1702,  as  he  was  riding  from  Hampton  Court  to  Kensington,  his  horse 
fell  with  him,  and  he  was  thrown  with  so  much  violence  that  he  broke 
his  collar-bone.  His  attendants  conveyed  him  back  to  Hampton 
Court,  where  the  bone  was  set ;  but  the  same  evening  he  went  to 
Kensington  in  a  coach,  and  the  jolting  of  the  carriage  again  dislo- 
cated the  bone. 

4.  Recovering  partially  from  the  effects  of  the  accident,  he  again 
relapsed,  and  died  on  the  8th  of  March,  1702,  in  the  fifty-second  year 
of  his  age,  and  fourteenth  of  his  reign.  After  his  death,  a  ring,  con- 
taining some  of  the  late  queen's  hair,  was  found  fastened  by  a  black 
ribbon  to  his  arm.  William  appears  to  have  had  a  regard  for  one 
portion  of  his  subjects  at  least,  for  he  appropriated  his  palace  at 
Greenwich  as  a  hospital  for  sick  and  disabled  seamen.  The  poor, 
worn-out  soldier  was  already  provided  for  in  the  hospital  at  Chelsea, 
founded  by  Charles  II. 

5.  During  the  cessation  of  hostilities  which  we  have  mentioned, 
England  received  a  visit  from  a  very  remarkable  personage.  The 
people  of  Russia  at  this  period  were  quite  barbarians ;  they  knew  few 
of  the  arts,  and  none  of  the  refinements  of  life.     Their  sovereign,  or 

CLXXXIX.— 1.  What  of  William  after  peace  was  restored  in  his  kingflom  ?  2.  When 
did  Mary  die?  When  was  peace  restored?  What  is  it  called?  3.  What  caused  Wil- 
lium'3  death?  When?  4.  In  what  year  of  his  life?  Of  his  reign?  To  what  purpose 
was  Greenwich  palace  appropriated  ?     What  of  Chelsea  hospital  ?     5.  What  of  Peter  1.  of 


PETER  THE   GREAT   VISITS    ENGLAND. — 1698.  361 

ezar^  as  he  is  called,  Peter  I.,  was  of  an  active  mind  and  great 
capacity,  and  he  was  filled  with  the  highest  ambition  of  a  great 
m(  narch,  that  of  improving  the  condition  of  those  whom  he  is  ap- 
pointed to  govern.  His  first  attempt  was  to  promote  the  discipline 
of  his  troops. 

6.  He  enlisted  as  a  common  soldier  in  one  of  his  own  regiments ; 
he  procured  German  officers,  and  set  the  example  of  learning  the 
I  exercise.  He  next  attended  to  the  formation  of  a  navy.  He  spent 
many  months  at  Archangel,  living  for  the  most  part  on  board  the 
Dutch  and  English  ships  which  happened  to  be  there.  But  a  full 
knowledge  of  ship-building  could  not  thus  be  acquired ;  so,  laying 
aside  his  rank  and  title,  he  went  in  the  train  of  his  own  ambassador 
to  Holland,  passing  by  the  name  of  Peter  Michaelef. 

7.  Here  he  worked  for  some  time  as  a  common  ship-c£trpenter. 
The  shed  under  which  he  worked,  and  a  boat  of  his  building,  are 
still  preserved  at  Saardam.  From  Holland  he  passed  over  to  Eng- 
land, still  using  his  assumed  name,  that  he  might  avoid  all  the 
tedious  ceremonies  he  must  have  submitted  to,  had  he  appeared  as 
a  royal  personage.  Still  it  was  very  well  known  who  Peter 
Michaelef  was,  and  care  was  taken  by  William  that  he  should 
have  every  attention  consistent  with  his  wishes. 

8.  Peter  established  himself  at  Deptford,  a  great  naval  station. 
Our  old  friend,  Mr.  Evelyn,  had  a  house  at  Deptford,  called  Sayes 
Court.  Having  great  skill  in  gardening,  he  had  spared  no  expense 
in  adorning  the  grounds  about  it,  and  it  was  considered  a  pattern 
of  elegance.  The  grounds  were  laid  out  in  a  style  which  would  not 
suit  the  taste  of  the  present  day.  It  was  called  the  Dutch  style,  in 
compliment  to  William,  but  was,  in  fact,  the  French  style,  being  in 
imitation  of  Louis  XIV.'s  gardens  at  Versailles. 

9.  It  was  very  formal  and  artificial,  the  garden  being  principally 
laid  out  in  flower-borders,  which  were  disposed  in  regular  shapes 
and  patterns.  The  more  fantastical  the  shapes  of  the  flower-beds, 
and  the  more  complicated  the  walks,  the  more  they  were  admired, 
provided  the  opposite  sides  of  the  garden  corresponded  with  one 
another.  There  were  walks  between  clipped  hedges,  cascades, 
fountains,  statues,  yew-trees  cut  into  all  kinds  of  shapes,  arbors, 
and  terraces. 

10.  With  all  the  variety,  there  was  a  regularity  and  formality 
which  the  poet  Pope  well  describes,  when  he  says, — 

"Grove  nods  at  grove;  each  alley  has  its  brother, 
And  half  the  platform  just  reflects  the  other." 

Unluckily  for  Mr.  Evelyn,  William  desired  him  to  accommodate 
Peter  with  his  house.  The  czar,  whose  mind  could  embrace  great 
objects,  had  no  taste  for  neatness ;  and  the  house  and  grounds  were 
soon  reduced  to  a  lamentaJDle  state  of  disorder  by  the  hard-working 
czar,  who  made  no  ceremony  of  destroying  the  shrubs  and  tram- 
pling down  the  flowers. 

Russia's  character  ?  *6,  7.  Relate  such  particulars  of  his  life  as  are  given.  8.  What  la 
said  of  Mr.  Evelyn's  garden?  What  style  is  this  called?  Of  what  is  it  an  imitation? 
9.  What  of  the  style?    10,  11.  What  of  Peter's  amusements  at  Sayes  Court? 

31 


362  ENGLISH   SOCIETY    DURING    THE   CIVIL    WARS. 

11.  One  of  his  diversions  was  to  be  wheeled  in  a  wheelbarroT» 
through  the  neat-clipped  hedges  that  had  been  raised  with  so  much 
care  and  cost.  The  czar  stayed  three  months  at  Deptford;  and  he 
and  his  people,  who,  as  Mr.  Evelyn's  old  servant  said  to  his  master, 
were  "  right  nasty,"  left  the  place  in  a  deplorable  condition.  The 
king  paid  for  the  actual  damage  they  did,  but  could  not  restore  th» 
beauty  of  the  gardens. 


CHAPTER  CXC. 

Clmmfizs^u-Bt^^^i^LJjiuing.md  Manners  during  the  Civil  Wars. — 
About  the  Arms  and  Dress  of  the  Soldiers. —  TJie  Healing  Ar-t. 

1.  In  old  times,  as  the  reader  will  remember,  the  nobles  lived  in 
their  castles  like  petty  sovereigns,  and  maintained  a  splendid  hos- 
pitality ;  and  when  they  came  to  London  they  kept  open  house, 
and  friends  and  retainers  were  sumptuously  entertained.  But  the 
civil  wars  had  made  a  great  change  in  this  respect.  Many  of  the 
old  nobles  had  lost  all  their  property,  and^  of  those  who  had  any,  the 
larger  part  had  acquired  other  tastes  during  their  exile. 

2.  A  writer  of  the  time  of  Charles  II.  tells  us  that  "  the  English 
are  generally  great /esA-eaters,  although,  by  the  nearness  of  the  sea, 
and  abundance  of  rivers,  there  is  no  lack  of  fish.  In  former  times 
their  table  was  covered  four  times  a  day ;  they  had  breakfasts  of 
meat,  dinners  of  meat,  beverages  of  meat,  and  suppers ;  but  in  the 
late  troubles,  many  eminent  families  being  impoverished,  a  custom 
was  taken  up  by  many  of  the  nobility  and  gentry,  of  eating  a  plen- 
tiful dinner,  but  little  or  no  supper." 

3.  Charles  I.  was  the  last  sovereign  of  England  who  lived  in  that 
Btyle  of  magnificence  and  abundant  plenty,  w4iich  used  to  excite 
amazement  in  the  foreigners  who  visited  the  country.  There  were 
daily  in  his  palace  at  Whitehall  eighty -six  tables,  well  furnished  at 
each  meal,  as  we  may  suppose,  when  we  learn  that  there  were 
more  than  five  hundred  dishes  at  each  meal,  with  bread,  wine, 
beer,  and  all  other  necessaries,  liberally  served.  In  this  hospitality 
he  followed  the  example  of  his  father,  who  hoped  thereby  to  endear 
the  English  to  his  royal  house,  as  they  had  ever  been  fond  of  good 
cheer. 

4.  We  are  reminded  of  another  change  which  took  place  about 
the  close  of  the  civil  war.  Before  this  time  the  officers  generally 
wore  defensive  armor,  and  the  soldiers  leathern  coats,  or  buj^'  jer- 
kins, as  they  were  called.  But  now  this  armor  went  entirely  out 
of  use,  and  in  William's  reign,  the  armor-makers  presented  a  peti- 
tion to  the  house  of  commons,  praying  them  to  compel  the  use  of 
it,  for  that  otherwise  their  trade  would  be  ruined.     Their  trade  was 

CXC. — 1.  What  change  in  the  style  of  liying  among  the  nobles?  Whai  »ccasionf>d 
W    3.  What  of  Charles  I.'s  hospitality?    4.  What  of  the  use  of  armor      u    What  of 


ARMS   AND    DRESS    OF    THE   SOLDIERS.  363 

indeed  ruined,  for  it  would  have  been  absurd  to  load  the  body  with 
a  weight  of  iron,  which  the  use  of  fire-arms  rendered  no  longer  a 
protection. 

5.  Fire-arms  were  not  adopted  in  the  English  army  till  long  after 
they  were  invented ;  and,  indeed,  when  we  learn  what  strange,  clumsy 
things  the  first  guns  (or  arquebusses)  were,  we  are  not  surprised  that 
the  English  bowmen,  who  excelled  all  others,  should  be  averse  to 
using  them.  These  old  guns  were  so  heavy,  that  it  was  necessary 
to  rest  them  on  a  forked  stick  before  they  could  be  levelled ;  and 
when  the  gun  was  propped  on  its  staff,  or  rest,  a  lighted  match  was 
used  for  firing  it. 

6.  The  pistol  was  the  next  improvement  on  this  unwieldy  weapon, 
and  had  its  name  from  being  originally  made  at  Pistoja,  in  Tuscany; 
but  this  was  a  very  clumsy  thing,  being  only  a  short  arquebuss.  In 
time,  the  contrivance  of  striking  fire  with  a  flint,  and  a  reduction 
in  the  size  and  weight  of  fire-arms,  brought  them  into  general  use, 
and  the  bow  and  arrow  were  entirely  laid  aside,  as  was  also  the 
pike,  another  formidable  weapon,  which  was  much  in  use  in  the  six- 
teenth and  seventeenth  centuries. 

7.  The  first  account  we  have  of  any  attempt  to  dress  soldiers  in 
uniform,  is  in  an  order  of  Henry  VIII.  for  the  clothing  of  some 
troops  raised  for  an  invasion  of  France.  The  coats  were  to  be  blue 
with  a  great  deal  of  red  about  them,  and  every  man  was  to  wear  a 
red  stocking  on  his  right  leg,  and  a  blue  one  on  his  left.  In  Queen 
Elizabeth's  time  there  were  some  regulations  respecting  soldiers' 
dress.  One  company,  as  we  learn,  was  to  be  "  clothed  in  motley,  or 
some  other  sad -green  color."  A  regular  national  uniform  was  not 
established  before  the  time  of  George  I. 

8.  As  we  have  been  speaking  of  the  improvement  in  the  weapons 
of  war,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  something  of  the  progress  in  the 
art  of  healing  wounds.  On  the  first  introduction  of  fire-arms,  it 
was  an  opinion  among  the  surgeons  that  there  was  something  ven- 
omous in  gunpowder,  which  poisoned  all  gunshot  injuries,  and  their 
method  of  cure  was  to  pour  boiling  oil  into  the  wound.  Happily,  a 
young  surgeon,  Ambrose  Par6,  in  the  army  of  Francis  I.,  of  France, 
having  on  one  occasion  expended  all  his  oil,  was  obliged  to  dress  the 
remainder  of  the  soldiers'  wounds  without  it. 

9.  He  could  hardly  sleep,  as  he  tells  us,  thinking  of  his  patients, 
and  rose  early  in  the  morning,  expecting  to  find  all  those  whose 
wounds  had  not  been  scalded,  either  dead  or  "  empoisoned."  But 
to  his  surprise  he  found  that  they  had  rested  well,  and  were  free 
from  pain,  while  the  others  were  in  fevers,  and  their  wounds  in- 
flamed ;  "  which  being  the  case,"  he  adds,  "  I  resolved  with  myself 
never  to  burn  gunshot  wounds  any  more." 

the  use  of  fire-arms?  6.  From  wliat  did  the  pistol  derive  its  name?  7.  What  of  the 
nniform  dress  of  soldiers?  8.  What  was  the  old  mode  of  dressing  gunshot  voundal 
Who  introduced  a  change  ? 


364  QUEEN   ANNE. — 1702. 


CHAPTER  CXCI.  ^^^ 

Queen  Anne. —  The  Duke  of  Marlborough. — Battle  of  Blenheim. 

1.  William  and  Mary  having  no  children,  Queen  Anne  suc- 
ceeded to  the  throne,  being  in  the  thirty-ninth  year  of  her  age.  She 
had  a  good  natural  capacity,  but  it  had  been  very  little  cultivated. 
In  private  life  she  would  have  been  a  very  estimable  character,  but 
she  wanted  the  decision  and  energy  necessary  to  make  a  great  queen. 
Her  person  was  engaging,  but  without  dignity.  Her  features  were 
regular,  but  her  complexion  was  too  florid,  and  her  face  too  full  and 
plump  to  be  perfectly  handsome. 

2.  She  had  married,  in  1683,  George,  son  of  the  King  of  Den- 
mark. The  husband  of  a  queen,  in  her  own  right,  does  not  become 
a  king,  and  Prince  George  had  no  greater  dignities  in  the  state  than 
those  of  commander-in-chief  of  the  queen's  forces,  and  lord  high 
admiral,  or  commander-in-chief  of  the  navy.  They  had  many 
children,  who  all  died  in  infancy,  except  one  son.  This  young  prince 
lived  to  be  eleven  years  old. 

3.  His  death  was  occasioned  by  catching  cold,  after  having  been 
heated  in  dancing.  It  caused  the  most  bitter  grief  to  his  parents, 
especially  his  mother,  who,  after  that  event,  never  regained  her 
former  vivacity.  She  considered  the  early  death  of  all  her  children 
as  a  punishment  inflicted  by  Heaven  for  her  failure  in  filial  duty. 
Though  Anne  took  part  with  her  sister  and  William  against  her 
father,  she  never  seemed  satisfied  with  her  conduct  in  so  doing ;  and 
it  was  generally  believed  that,  had  James  outlived  William,  she 
would  have  declined  the  crown. 

4.  She  did  not  feel  the  same  scruples  with  regard  to  her  brother; 
still,  however,  her  heart  inclined  to  his  cause,  and  nothing  but  her 
anxiety  for  the  Protestant  establishment  prevented  her  from  taking 
a  decided  part  in  favor  of  his  claims  to  succeed  herself  upon  the 
throne.  This  question  about  the  succession  agitated  the  kingdom 
during  her  whole  reign.  The  tories  were  in  favor  of  the  Pretender, 
as  he  was  called,  and  of  the  house  of  Stuart,  while  the  whigs  were 
friends  of  the  house  of  Hanover  and  the  Protestant  succession,  as  it 
had  been  established  by  law. 

5.  The  greatest  weakness  in  Anne's  character,  was  that  of  being 
too  much  influenced  by  her  favorites,  to  whom  she  attached  herself 
ardently,  and  whom  she  permitted  to  treat  her  with  more  freedom 
than  it  was  judicious  for  a  queen  to  allow.  The  first  and  chief 
favorite  was  Sarah  Jennings,  wife  of  John  Churchill,  who  became 
Duke  of  Marlborough.  The  duchess  was  a  clever  woman,  but  of  an 
imperious  and  meddling  temper.  So  great  was  the  intimacy  be- 
tween her  and  the  queen,  that  for  a  long  time  they  corresponded 


CXCI.— 1.  What  of  Queen  Anne?  2.  What  of  her  husband?  What  of  her  children? 
How  did  the  death  of  her  children  affect  her  ?  4.  What  of  the  question  of  succession  ? 
&.  What  weakness  had  Anne?    Who  was  her  flr^t  favorite?    What  of  the  Duke  of  Marl- 


BATTLE   OF    BLENHEIM. — 1704.  365 

with  each  other,  under  the  assumed  names  of  Mrs.  Freeman  and 
Mrs.  Morley. 

6.  The  father  of  John  Churchill  held  some  inferior  place  in  the 
court  of  Charles  II.  Young  Churchill  entered  the  army  at  twelve 
years  of  age,  and  was  engaged  in  active  service  nearly  the  whole  of 
his  life,  which  proved  a  long  one.  His  great  abilities  recommended 
him  to  William,  who  made  him  Earl  of  Marlborough,  and  appointed 
him  to  the  command  of  his  armies,  first  in  Ireland,  and  afterwards 
on  the  continent. 

7.  On  the  accession  of  Anne,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command 
of  the  English  troops  in  the  new  war  which  England,  in  connection 
with  Germany  and  Holland,  was  about  to  undertake  against  France 
and  Spain,  and  for  which  William  was  preparing  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Marlborough  was  also  appointed  by  the  Dutch  to  the  chief 
command  of  their  troops.  The  campaign  of  1702  was  not  distin- 
guished by  any  great  event. 

8.  There  is  a  story  told  of  a  remarkable  escape  which  Marlborough 
himself  met  with  at  this  time.  He  had  embarked  on  the  river 
Meuse,  with  some  Dutch  deputies  and  a  guard  of  soldiers,  and  was 
intending  to  go  to  the  Hague.  At  the  close  of  the  evening,  some 
French  troops,  who  had  been  lurking  about,  and  were  on  the  watch 
for  plunder,  suddenly  darted  out  from  among  the  reeds  by  the  river 
side,  and,  seizing  the  hauling-line,  rushed  into  the  boat. 

9.  They  immediately  secured  the  soldiers,  and  would  have  made 
the  Dutch  deputies  prisoners  also,  had  they  not  produced  their  pass- 
ports. Marlborough  was  not  provided  with  a  passport,  but  one  of 
his  attendants,  having  an  old  one,  slipped  it  into  his  hand ;  and  the 
French  officer,  not  having  time  to  examine  it,  let  him  go,  after 
plundering  the  boat  and  carrying  oif  the  soldiers.  Marlborough 
and  his  companions  arrived  safely  at  the  Hague,  where  they  found 
the  town  in  the  utmost  consternation,  a  report  having  reached  it 
that  they  had  all  been  taken  prisoners. 

10.  The  war  was  carried  on  with  great  activity  during  1703.  In 
1704,  the  English  and  Dutch  armies,  under  the  command  of  Marl- 
borough, who  had  now  become  a  duke,  were  joined  by  the  army  of 

the  Emperor  of  Germany,  under  Prince  Eugene.  OnJ;he  13th  of  i  *i  A 
AiTffnst^  V7j[)4j  the  combined  armies  gained,  at  Blenheim,  a  complete  /  ' 
victory  over  the  Fxench,.  The  consequences  of  this  triumph  were  of 
immense  importance,  and  the  Duke  of  Marlborough,  who  was  from  this 
time  looked  up  to  as  the  greatest  commander  since  the  Black  Prince, 
received  a  corresponding  reward.  The  queen  bestowed  on  him  the 
estate  of  Woodstock,  near  Oxford,  and  a  noble  mansion  was  there 
built  for  him  at  the  public  expense,  to  which  was  given  the  name 
of  Blenheim. 

11.  The  duke's  success  in  war  was  not  accidental.  He  possessed 
the  qualities  which  insure  success  in  every  profession.  He  was  a 
man  of  extreme  calmness  and  tranquillity  ;  nothing  flurried,  nothing 
disconcerted  him.    Commanding  an  army  composed  of  men  of  dif- 


borough  in  early  life?    8.  What  escape  had  he?     10.  When  was  the  battle  of  Blenheim 
31* 


366        GIBRALTAR   TAKEN    FROM   THE   SPANIARDS. 1704. 

ferent  nations,  whose  interests  were  perpetually  clashing,  he  listened 
to  no  cabals,  but  acted  for  the  public  cause. 

12.  Of  his  command  of  temper,  we  remember  one  very  striking 
instance.  Prince  Eugene  had  proposed,  at  a  council  of  war,  that  an 
attack  should  be  made  the  next  day  on  the  enemy.  Though  nothing 
could  be  more  evidently  judicious  than  this  proposal,  the  duke  posi- 
tively refused  to  consent  to  it.  The  prince  called  him  a  coward,  and 
challenged  him  to  fight  a  duel ;  but  Marlborough  kept  his  temper, 
and  declined  the  challenge.  Upon  this,  Eugene,  being  violently 
enraged,  left  the  council. 

13.  Early  the  next  morning  he  was  awakened  by  Marlborough,  who, 
coming  to  his  bedside,  desired  him  to  rise,  as  he  was  preparing  to 
make  the  attack,  and  added,  "  I  could  not  tell  you  my  determination 
last  night,  because  there  was  a  person  present  who  I  knew  would  be- 
tray our  plans  to  the  enemy."  The  prince,  ashamed  of  his  own  intem- 
perate conduct,  asked  pardon  of  the  duke,  who  accepted  his  apologies, 
saying,  "I  thought,  my  dear  prince,  you  would  in  time  be  satisfied." 


"i^^, 


CHAPTER    CXCII. 


Qxbraltar  taken  from  the  Spanmrcls. — Ingratitude  of  the  Country  to  its 
Captors. — Sir  Cloudesley  Shovel. — Robinson  Crusoe. 

1.  The  treatment  of  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  by  his  sovereign 
and  fellow-subjects,  contrasts  strangely  with  that  received  by  a  dis- 
tinguished naval  commander.  The  fortress  of  Gibraltar,  which 
commands  the  entrance  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  had  hitherto 
been  deemed  impregnable.  It  stands  on  the  summit  of  a  steep  and 
rocky  mountain,  and  is  almost  inaccessible,  even  when  the  approach 
is  unopposed.  A  few  brave  troops,  under  a  skilful  commander, 
could  hold  it  against  the  most  numerous  armies. 

2.  Sir  (xeorga.JiQake,  returning  with  a  squadron  from  an  unsuc- 
cessful expedition  against  Barcelona,  determined  to  retrieve  any 
reputation  which  he  might  have  lost,  by  taking  this  fortress.  The 
Prince  of  Hesse,  who  commanded  the  land  forces,  very  unwillingly 
yielded  his  assent  to  what  he  considered  a  hopeless  attempt.  So  it 
proved,  so  far  as  the  land  forces  were  concerned.  The  soldiers 
could  effect  nothing. 

3.  A  detachment  of  sailors  was  then  landed,  who,  mounting  the 
rocks  with  the  ease  and  alacrity  of  the  monkeys  who  make  their 
home  among  them,  soon  compelled  the  governor  to  surrender ;  and 
the  Prince  of  Hesse  entered  the  town,  amazed  at  the  success  of  so 
desperate  an  enterprise.  Sir  George  might  well  have  expected  re- 
wards and  honors  for  so  brilliant  an  exploit.  But  he  had  no  influ- 
ential wife  at  the  side  of  the  queen,  no  powerful  friends  in  parliament. 


fought?     Between  whom?     11.  What  of   Marlborough's  abilities?     12,  13.  What  in- 
Btanoo  of  his  command  of  temper? 
OXCII.— 1.  What  of  the  fortress  of  Gibraltar?     2.  Relate  the  particulars  of  its  cap- 


SrU    CLOUDESLEY    SHOVEL.  367 

4.  An  attempt  was  made  by  some  one  to  get  a  vote  of  thanks  from 
the  latter,  but  that  body  decided  that  the  e:?  ploit  was  not  worth  their 
thanks,  and  Sir  George  was  suffered  to  pass  the  rest  of  his  life  in 
retirement  and  obscurity.  From  all  Marlborough's  victories,  Eng- 
land derived  no  permanent  advantage,  but  merely  the  name  of 
having  beaten  her  enemies.  But  Gibraltar  still  remains  to  her, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  her  foreign  possessions. 

5.  There  was  another  naval  commander  who  is  worthy  of  men- 
tion. This  was  Sir  Cloudesley  Shovel,  who  was  born  of  poor 
parents,  and  apprenticed,  when  very  young,  to  a  shoemaker.  This 
employment  was  not  at  all  to  his  taste,  so  he  left  his  master,  and 
became  a  cabin-boy  on  board  a  ship  of  war.  During  the  heat  of 
an  engagement,  the  admiral  wished  to  send  some  despatches  to 
another  ship,  and  young  Cloudesley  volunteered  to  perform  the 
dangerous  service.  Taking  the  papers  in  his  mouth,  he  conveyed 
them  in  safety  through  the  enemy's  line  of  fire. 

6.  This  bold  deed  obtained  for  him  the  notice  of  the  officers  of 
the  fleet.  In  time  he  was  made  a  lieutenant,  and  after  that,  his 
rise  was  rapid.  Both  James  and  William  promoted  him.  From 
Anne  he  received  many  honors  and  distinctions;  but  none  oY  these 
altered  the  original  simplicity  of  his  manners  and  character.  In 
1705  he  was  sent  with  a  fleet  to  aid  the  operations,  in  Spain,  of  the 
Earl  of  Peterborough,  a  general  whose  exploits  have  all  the  charac- 
ter of  the  age  of  chivalry. 

7.  As  Sir  Cloudesley  was  returning  from  this  expedition,  in  1707, 
his  ship,  with  three  others,  was  wrecked  on  the  rocks  of  the  Scilly 
Isles.  Out  of  the  four  ships'  crews,  only  one  captain  and  twenty- 
four  seamen  were  saved.  Sir  Cloudesley's  body  was  found  on  the 
shore,  having  been  stripped  by  the  country  people  and  buried  in 
the  sand.  It  was  afterwards  taken  up  and  deposited  in  West- 
minster Abbey,  where  lie  buried  the  bodies  of  most  Englishmen 
who  have  been  distinguished  in  any  profession. 

8.  Many  years  after  the  shipwreck,  an  old  woman  sent  for  a 
clergyman,  and  told  him  that  she  wished,  before  she  died,  to  con- 
fess to  hira  a  dreadful  crime,  which  burdened  her  conscience.  She 
then  told  him  that  Admiral  Shovel  had  survived  the  wreck,  and 
had  reached  her  hut  in  a  very  exhausted  state ;  that  he  lay  down 
on  her  bed  to  rest,  and  that  she,  tempted  by  the  value  of  the  things 
he  had  about  him,  had  murdered  him. 

9.  This  shipwreck  reminds  us  of  Robinson  Crusoe,  whose  adven- 
tures were  written  by  Daniel  Defoe,  a  voluminous  author  of  Queen 
Anne's  reign.  It  is  not  a  real  histoiy,  but  a  fictitious  story.  It  is 
supposed  that  the  adventures  of  Alexander  Selkirk,  who  lived  some 
years  on  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  sug- 
gested to  Defoe  the  idea  of  writing  this  delightful  book ;  a  work 
which  has  been  translated  into  more  languages  than  perhaps  any 
other  book  of  amusement. 

tnre.    4.  What  reward  had  the  captors  ?    5.  Relate  what  is  s« id  of  Sir  Cloudesley  Shovel 
R.  What  of  his  death  ?     9.  What  of  Robinson  Crusoe? 


PEACE   OP   UTRECHT. — 1713. 


CHAPTER  CXCIII. 


Marlborough  continues  his  victorious  Career. — He  bses  the  Favor  of  the 
Queen  and  the  People. — Peace  of  Utrecht. —  Contests  between  the 
Whigs  and  Tories. — Death  of  Anne. —  Union  between  Scotland  and 
England. 

1.  We  left  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  enjoying  the  reward  of  his 
successful  campaign  on  the  continent.  He  gained  many  more  vic- 
tories during  the  war ;  of  which  the  most  celebrated  are  those  of 
Ramillies,  May  23d,  1706;  of  Oudenarde,  July  11th,  1706;  and  of 
Malplaquet,  September  11th,  1709.  All  this  time  his  enemies  and 
rivals  at  home  were  busily  endeavoring  to  undermine  his  favor 
with  the  queen ;  and  they  at  last  succeeded. 

2.  He  had  always  had  great  influence  in  the  political  councils 
of  Anne;  but  he  was  now  supplanted  by  Mr.  Harley,  afterwards 
Earl  of  Oxford.  At  the  same  time  a  Mrs.  Masham  supplanted  the 
Duchess  of  Marlborough  as  the  queen's  favorite.  Marlborough,  as 
his  favor  diminished  at  court,  seems  to  have  lost  the  affections  of 
the  people.  On  coming  into  England  in  1710,  instead  of  being 
caressed  as  formerly,  and  received  with  a  triumphant  welcome,  he 
saw  himself  insulted  and  reviled. 

3.  He  returned  to  the  army,  and  continued  to  conduct  the  aflfairs 
of  the  war  with  his  usual  ability  and  success.  But  the  tories,  at  the 
head  of  whom  was  the  Earl  of  Oxford,  were  not  content  till  they  pro- 
cured his  dismissal  from  the  command  of  the  army ;  which  they 
effected  in  1711.  Animosity  towards  him  was  not  the  sole  motive 
for  this ;  the  war  had  been  a  favorite  measure  with  the  whigs. 

4.  The  tories  were  desirous  of  peace,  and  they  could  not  effect 
their  wishes  so  long  as  Marlborough  retained  any  power,  for  it  was 
believed,  and  his  well-known  avarice  gave  some  foundation  for  the 
belief,  that  all  his  influence  would  be  exerted  to  continue  the  war, 
that  he  might  retain  his  lucrative  ofiices.  The  tories  prevailed, 
and  peace  was  signed  at  Utrecht  in  April,  1713.  By  this  treaty, 
Newfoundland,  Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  Island  of  St.  Christopher 
were  ceded  by  France  to  England. 

5.  Louis  also  agreed  to  abandon  the  cause  of  the  Pretender,  who 
had  now  assumed  the  name  of  the  Chevalier  St.  George.  Louis, 
however,  still  continued  to  protect  him.  He  had  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Sobieski,  King  of  Poland.  He  had  two  sons,  Charles 
Edward  and  Henry,  The  eldest  was  afterwards  known  as  the 
young  pretender.  Henry  became  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  and 
was  afterwards  Cardinal  of  York. 

6.  The  intolerable  dissensions  between  the  leaders  of  the  two  great 

CXCIII. — 1.  What  other  victories  did  Marlborough  obtain?  Give  the  dates.  2.  By 
whom  was  Marlborough  supplanted  in  Anne's  favor  ?  Who  supplanted  his  wife  ?  What 
of  Marlborough's  favor  with  the  people?  3.  What  did  his  opponents  do?  4.  What  of 
the  peace?  When  and  where  was  it  signed?  5.  What  of  the  Pretender?  What  of  hia 
•oiw?     6.  What  of  the  quarrels  between  the  whigs  and  tories?     What  did  the  whigs  dv 


DEATH    OF   QUEEN   ANNE. 1714.  869 

parties,  the  whigs  and  the  tories,  who  never  met  at  the  council  with- 
out violent  altercations,  kept  the  queen  in  such  a  state  of  disquietude, 
as  at  last  to  destroy  her  health.  The  whigs  proved  in  the  end  the 
strongest ;  and  at  length,  the  queen's  death  visibly  approaching,  a 
letter  was  sent  to  George,  Elector  of  Hanover,  who,  by  the  death  of 
his  mother,  Sophia,  was  the  head  of  the  Protestant  succession,  desir- 
ing him  to  come  to  Holland,  where  a  fleet  should  be  in  waiting  to 
escort  him  to  England. 

7.  Heralds  were  kept  in  waiting  to  proclaim  King  George  the 
instant  the  queen  should  expire.  The  seaports  were  all  secured,  and 
every  precaution  was  taken  to  prevent  the  tories  and  Jacobites  from 
attempting  the  restoration  of  the  Stuarts.  The  queen  died  August 
1,  1714,  in  the  fiftieth  year  of  her  age,  and  the  thirteenth  of  her 
reign.  Prince  George  died  several  years  before  her.  With  Anne 
the  line  of  sovereigns  of  the  house  of  Stuart  ended. 

8.  Though  Anne  was  a  woman  of  no  very  brilliant  qualities,  yet 
many  lasting  benefits  were  in  her  reign  conferred  on  the  country. 
Among  these  was  the  union  with  Scotland.  Hitherto  England 
and  Scotland  had  been  considered  as  separate  countries ;  each  had 
its  own  parliament,  and  regarded  itself  as  an  independent  kingdom, 
subject,  however,  to  the  same  sovereign. 

9.  This  was  a  very  troublesome  arrangement,  and  a  perfect  union 
had  long  been  desired  by  the  most  discreet  persons  of  both  king- 
doms. This  was  now  effected ;  the  two  kingdoms  were  henceforth 
to  be  one  country ;  each  was  to  retain  its  own  peculiar  laws,  and 
one  parliament  was  to  serve  for  both.  This  measure,  which  met 
with  much  opposition  at  the  time,  has  proved  of  incalculable  benefit 
to  both  countries. 

FAMILY  OF   ANNE. 

HUSBAND. 
George,  son  of  the  King  of  Denmark. 

CHILDREN. 

She  had  nine  children,  all  of  whom  died  in  infancy  except  one  son,  named 
George,  who  lived  to  be  eleven  years  old,  and  died  in  1700. 

TABLE  OF  SOVEREIGNS  OF  THE   STUART  FAMILY. 
Bogsm  to  reign.  Reigned. 

\l603     .     .     22     .     .     James  I.  of  England  and  VI.  of  Scotland,  great 
great-grandson  of  Henry  VII. 
1625     .  24    .     .     Charles  L,  son  of  James  I.     Beheaded  by  order  of 

the  parliament. 

COMMONWEALTH. 

1653     .     .       5     .     .     Oliver  Cromwell,  Lord  Protector. 
^1658     .     .  .     .     Richard    Cromwell,    Lord    Protector,   resigns   his 

^  power. 

when  the  queen  became  ill  ?  7.  When  did  she  die  ?  8,  9.  What  particular  benefit  did 
•he  confer  on  the  country  ? 


570 


GREAT   MEN    OF   QUEEN    ANNE's   TIME. — 1702-1714. 


HOUSE   OF   STUART  RESTORED   TO  THE  THRONE. 
Began  to  reign.  Reigned. 

/'fi60     .     .     25     .     .     Charles  II.,  son  of  Charles  I. 

/  1685     .     .       3     .     .     James  II.,  son  of   Charles  I.     He  abdicates  the 

I  throne. 

1^1688     .     .     14     .     .     William  III.  and  Mary.     The  latter  the  daughter 

of  James  II. 
[1702     .     .     12     .     .     Anne,  daughter  of  James  II. 


^'^Hi^t  , 


CHAPTEK  CXCIV. 


Of  jhe  qreai  Me.^.  of  Qn.p.p.n  4nnj>\<^  fimp. — JVewion — Locke —  Clarke 
Pope — Addison — Swift —  Waits. 


1,  The  reign  of  Anne  was  a  very  brilliant  epoch  in  English  his- 
tory, and  very  few  other  periods  can  be  named  in  which  so  many 
men  of  genius  flourished  together.  We  have  already  spoken  about 
the  chief  naval  and  military  heroes.  We  must  now  mention  some  of 
those  who  contributed  to  give  the  age  a  much  more  lasting  reputation. 

2.  First  comes  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  who  was  not  only  one  of  the 

Erofoundest  philosophers,  but  also  one  of  the  most  sincere  and  hum- 
le  Christians  that  ever  lived.  His  father  was  a  gentleman  of  small 
estate  at  Woolsthorpe,  and  died  when  his  son,  who  was  born  on 
Christmas-day,  1642,  was  very  young.  His  widow  married  again 
and  Isaac  was  employed  by  his  step-father  as  a  shepherd-boy. 


CXCIV.— 1.  What  of  Queen  Anne's  reign  ?     2.  What  of  the  early  life  of  Newton?    6. 


GREAT    MEN    OF    QUEJ:N    ANNE's   TIME. — 1702-1714.        373 

3.  One  day,  while  he  was  keeping  the  sheep,  a  gentleman  passing 
by  observed  that  he  was  deeply  occupied  in  some  book,  and  had  the 
curiosity  to  ask  him  what  it  was.  To  his  surprise,  he  found  that  it 
was  a  work  on  practical  geometry.  This  circumstance  was  men- 
tioned to  his  mother's  relations,  who  took  him  from  his  humble 
employment,  and  j)laced  him  at  school  at  Grantham.  His  progress 
there  was  quite  astonishing;  and  he  was  noted  for  his  strange  in- 
ventions, and  extraordinary  inclination  for  mechanics. 

4.  He  had  a  little  shop  of  tools,  as  little  saws,  hatchets,  and  ham- 
mers, with  which  he  amused  himself  in  making  models  in  wood  of 
various  things.  Whilst  his  companions  were  flying  kites,  he  was 
occupied  in  investigating  the  best  form  which  could  be  given  to 
them,  and  the  most  advantageous  place  for  tying  the  string. 
From  school  he  was  sent  to  the  University  of  Cambridge ;  of  which, 
at  a  very  early  age,  he  became  a  professor. 

5.  Newton  made  many  discoveries,  any  one  of  which  would  be 
sufficient  to  bestow  a  lasting  fame.  The  chief  are  the  theory  of 
colors,  and  the  laws  of  gravitation,  or  that  force  by  which  the  sun, 
moon,  and  planets  are  kept  in  their  relative  positions.  To  men  of 
genius  the  most  trifling  incidents  sometimes  suggest  matters  of  deep 
importance.  The  plague  broke  out  at  Cambridge,  and  Newton  was 
obliged  to  return  home. 

6.  As  he  was  one  day  sitting  in  his  garden,  the  falling  of  an  apple 
from  a  tree  led  his  thoughts  to  the  subject  of  gravity,  and  consider- 
ing that  this  power  does  not  sensibly  diminish  at  the  points  the 
most  remote  from  the  earth's  centre,  even  at  the  tops  of  the  highest 
mountains,  he  thought  that  it  must  extend  much  further.  Why 
not  to  the  moon  ?  was  his  next  question  to  himself. 

7.  He  pursued  the  inquiry  thus  suggested,  until  he  discovered 
that  the  law  which  keeps  the  moon  revolving  about  the  earth,  and 
the  planets  revolving  about  the  sun,  is  the  same  with  that  which 
causes  an  apple  to  fall  to  the  ground,  that  is,  draws  it  towards  the 
centre  of  the  earth.  Newton's  extreme  modesty  and  gentleness  of 
temper  were  more  extraordinary  than  even  his  talents  and  acquire- 
ments. He  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  retaining  to  the 
close  of  his  life  the  full  use  of  his  powers  of  mind. 

8.  He  was  never  guilty  of  any  one  excess,  except  it  be  excess  of 
study.  We  are  told  that  one  day,  when  his  favorite  little  dog, 
Diamond,  destroyed  a  manuscript  which  he  had  spent  much 
time  in  completing,  all  that  he  said  was,  "  O  Diamond,  Diamond, 
thou  little  knowest  the  mischief  thou  hast  done!"  and  then  quietly 
^et  to  work  to  repair  the  mischief  by  days  and  nights  of  hard  study. 

9.  In  his  person  this  extraordinary  man  was  of  middling  stature ; 
his  countenance  was  pleasing,  but  did  not  display  that  deep  sagaci+^^y 
which  is  everywhere  perceptible  in  his  writings.  Contemporary 
with  Newton  was  John  Locke,  a  distinguished  moral  philosopher, 
who  wrote  Essays  on  the  Human  Understanding,  and  works  on 
Education,  Government,  &c.     At  the  request  of  his  friend,  Lord 

What  discoveries   did   he   make?     6,  7.  Relate    the   incident  connected  with    that   of 
the  laws  of  gravitation.    8.  Relate   tlie  anecdote    showing  his  mildness.    P.  What  of 


372  GEORGE   I. 1714. 

Shaftesbury,  he  prepared  a  constitution  for  the  colony  of  North 
Carolina,  which  that  nobleman  and  others  were  about  to  establish. 

10.  Queen  Caroline,  wife  of  George  II.,  of  whom  you  will  pres- 
ently hear,  was  a  great  admirer  of  men  of  profound  talent.  Her 
pavilion  at  Richmond  was  adorned  by  the  busts  of  Bacon,  Newton, 
Locke,  and  Clarke.  The  last-named.  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke,  was  an- 
other of  the  truly  great  men  who  flourished  in  the  time  of  Queen 
Anne.  He  is  alike  distinguished  for  his  theological  and  his 
philosophical  works. 

11.  But  the  men  we  have  mentioned  are  not  those  usually  in- 
tended by  the  phrase  "the  writers  of  Queen  Anne's  time,"  who 
rendered  that  period  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  taste  and  literature. 
The  chief  of  these  were  Pope  and  Addison,  who,  perhaps,  did  more 
towards  the  improvement  of  the  general  style  of  thinking  and 
writing  than  any  other  authors  have  done. 

12.  Pope  stands  next  to  Milton  in  the  list  of  English  poets.  He 
was  happier  in  one  respect,  for  his  merits  were  appreciated  by  his 
contemporaries,  and  produced  to  him  a  handsome  fortune,  which 
enabled  him  to  entertain  his  friends  at  his  villa  at  Twickenham. 
Addison,  assisted  by  Steele  and  others,  published  the  Spectator  and 
Tatler. 

13.  These  were  the  first  periodical  papers  which  pretended  to  any 
literary  merit,  published  in  England.  They  were  read  with  the 
greatest  assiduUy  by  all  classes  of  persons,  and  were  long  referred  to 
as  models  upon  which  to  form  a  correct  style  of  writing.  Youthful 
readers  are  perhaps  more  familiar  with  the  works  of  another  great 
genius  of  this  age,  Dean  Swift,  the  author  of  Gulliver's  Travels. 

14.  Perhaps  they  do  not  know  that  what  seems  to  them  merely  a 
fabulous  story  about  Liliputians,  was  a  very  severe  satire,  well 
understood  at  the  time.  We  should  not  be  forgiven  if  we  omitted 
to  mention  that  great  and  good  man,  Dr.  Isaac  Watts,  who  may 
emphatically  be  called  the  benefactor  of  children. 

15.  It  is  true  he  did  not  die  till  1748,  but  he  was  then  at  the 
advanced  age  of  seventy-five  years,  so  that  he  was  in  the  maturity 
of  his  powers  during  Queen  Anne's  reign.  His  name  is  now  most 
familiar  to  us  as  the  author  of  many  beautiful  hymns,  and  a  poeti- 
cal version  of  the  Psalms ;  but  he  was  also  distinguished  as  a  writer 
on  philosophical  subjects. 


CHAPTER  CXCV. 

George  I. — Rebellion  in  Scotland. — Fight  of  Sheriff- Muir. 

1.  The  arrangements  of  the  whigs  were  entirely  successful.    The 
breath  was  hardly  out  of  Anne's  body,  before  proclamation  was  made 

Locke?     10.  What  of  Clarke?     12.  What    of   Pope?     Of  Addison?     Of   Swift?    Of 
Watts? 


REBELLION    IN   SCOTLAND. — 1715.  373 

of  the  Elector  of  Hanover  as  kinff,  by  the  title  of  George  I.  He 
was  met  at  his  landing  in  England  by  many  persons  of  high  office 
and  rank ;  amongst  others,  by  the  Duke  of  Marlborough,  whom  he 
ever  treated  with  great  distinction. 

2.  George,  at  his  accession,  was  in  the  fifty-fifth  year  of  his 
age.  He  was  a  man  of  plain,  steady  understanding,  grave  in  hi& 
manners,  and  simple  in  his  habits.  He  had  an  honest,  sensible 
countenance,  without  anything  very  striking.  A  late  nobleman  tells 
us,  that  when  he  was  a  little  boy  he  had  a  great  desire  to  see  the 
king ;  and  as  his  father  held  a  high  office,  his  wish  was  indulged, 
and  he  was  allowed  to  go  into  a  room  where  the  king  was  at  supper. 

3.  He  "  there  saw  a  short  hale  man,  with  an  aspect  rather  good 
than  dignified,  having  on  a  large  wig,  and  dressed  in  a  complete  suit 
of  snuff-colored  clothes,  with  stockings  to  match ;  and  this  man  was 
George  I."  As  the  king  could  speak  but  little  English,  and  his 
chief  minister.  Sir  Robert  Walpole,  understood  neither  German 
nor  French,  the  intercourse  between  them  was  carried  on  in  Latin. 

4.  In  all  his  notions  and  ways  the  king  was  too  much  of  a  Ger- 
man to  be  popular  in  England.  He  had  married  the  Princess 
Sophia  Dorothea,  of  Zell,  and  either  had,  or  supposed  himself  to 
have,  so  much  reason  to  be  displeased  with  her  conduct,  that  he 
shut  her  up  in  the  castle  of  Ahlden,  not  far  from  Hanover. 

5.  In  this  gloomy  building,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Aller,  she 
passed  the  last  forty  years  of  her  life.  Her  only  son,  George,  when 
he  grew  to  be  a  man,  had  a  strong  desire  to  see  her;  but  he  tried  in 
vain  to  accomplish  it.  One  day  he  swam  his  horse  across  the  Aller, 
made  his  way  to  the  gates  of  the  castle,  and  passed  the  outer  moat, 
or  ditch ;  but  when  he  got  to  the  draw-bridge  of  the  inner  moat, 
the  governor  of  the  castle  met  him,  and  made  him  retire. 

6.  George  I.  did  not  leave  room  for  any  doubt  as  to  the  political 
party  which  was  to  have  his  support.  The  whigs  were  received  by 
him  with  the  greatest  courtesy  and  kindness,  whilst  the  tories  met 
with  decided  marks  of  disapprobation.  If  he  had  been  content  with 
this,  it  would  have  been  better  for  his  reputation  and  his  quiet,  but 
he  suffered  the  whigs  *to  persecute  the  tory  leaders.  Lord  Oxford 
was  committed  to  the  Tower  on  a  charge  of  treason.  The  Duke  of 
Ormond  and  Lord  Bolingbroke  fled  to  France  to  escape  a  similar 
fate,  and  their  names  were  stricken  from  the  list  of  English  peers. 

7.  These  violent  proceedings  excited  indignation,  and  the  dis- 
content at  length  broke  out  into  open  rebellion.  The  Earl  of  Mar, 
a  Highland  chieftain,  assembled  his  vassals,  and  on  the  6th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1715,  proclaimed  James  Stuart  to  be  king ;  about  the  same 
time  the  Earl  of  Derwentwater  and  Mr.  Foster  took  up  arms  in  the 
north  of  England,  in  the  same  cause.  They  were  joined  by  Lords 
Kinmuir  and  Nithsdale,  and  other  Scottish  gentlemen. 

8.  On  the  other  side,  the  Duke  of  Argyle  summoned  his  clansmen, 
the  numerous  and  powerful  Campbells,  to  take  up  arms  for  King 


CXCV.— 1.  What  of  the  success  of  the  whigs'  arrangements  ?  2.  What  of  George  ?  3. 
How  is  he  described  by  one  who  saw  him  ?  What  of  his  knowledge  of  the  English  lan- 
guage?   4,6.  What  of  his  wife?    6.  What  of  his  treatment  of  the  political  parties. 

32 


374  OF   THE   RISING   IN   ENGLAND. — 1716. 

George.  With  these  he  met  the  Earl  of  Mar  near  Dumblane,  at 
SherifF-Muir.  The  earl's  troops  were  at  the  first  onset  successful, 
and  General  Whetham,  who  commanded  a  division  of  Argyle'a 
army,  fled,  full  gallop,  to  Stirling,  exclaiming  that  the  king's  army 
was  completely  defeated. 

9.  In  the  mean  time  Argyle's  own  division  had  defeated  the  body 
of  the  rebels  opposed  to  them,  but  on  returning  to  the  field,  met  the 
victorious  insurgents.  Neither  party  felt  disposed  to  renew  the 
contest,  so  they  stood  looking  at  each  other  for  several  hours,  and 
at  length  drew  off  different  ways,  each  party  claiming  the  victory. 
One  of  the  Jacobite  songs,  in  allusion  to  this  battle,  begins  thus : 

10.  There's  some  say  that  we  won, 
Some  say  that  they  won, 
Some  say  that  none  won 
At  a',  man. 

But  one  thing  I'm  sure, 
That  at  Sheriff-Muir 
A  battle  there  was, 

Which  I  saw,  man. 

And  we  ran,  and  they  ran, 
And  they  ran,  and  we  ran, 
And  we  ran,  and  they  ran, 
Awa',  man. 

11.  The  Duke  of  Argyle,  however,  had  all  the  fruits  of  victory. 
On  December  22d,  the  Pretender  arrived  in  Scotland,  attended  by 
only  six  gentlemen.  In  the  expectation  that  the  whole  country 
would  rise  in  his  cause,  he  fixed  January  16th,  1716,  for  the  day  of 
his  coronation  at  Scone,  where  his  ancestors  for  many  generations 
had  been  crowned  Kings  of  Scotland.  But  before  the  appointed 
day  arrived,  he  was  so  closely  pursued  by  Argyle,  that  he  was  glad 
to  abandon  his  enterprise,  and  get  back  to  France. 


CHAPTER  CXCVI. 

Of  the  Ruing  in  England. — How  Lord  Nithsdale  effected  his  Escape 
from  Prison. — The  South- Sea  Scheme. — Death  of  George  I. 

1.  On  the  very  day  of  the  fight  at  Sheriff-Muir,  November  12th, 
the  English  Jacobites  under  Derwentwater  and  his  companions 
had  been  compelled  to  surrender  to  the  troops  of  King  George. 
The  prisoners  were  treated  with  the  greatest  cruelty.  The  leaders 
were  sent  to  London,  and  were  led  through  the  streets  to  the  vari- 
ous prisons,  pinioned  like   common   malefactors.     Derwentwater, 

7.  What  was  the  consequence  of  the  violence  against  the  tories?  What  of  the  rebel- 
lion in  Scotland?  8,  9,  10.  What  of  his  fight  of  Sheriff-Muir?  11,  What  of  the  Pr» 
tender  ? 


ES5CAPE   OF    LORD    NITHSDALE    FROM    PRISON. 1715.      375 

Kenmuir,  and  Nithsdale  were  condemned  to  be  beheaded,  and  the 
two  former  were  executed. 

2.  Many  of  the  rest  were  hung,  and  more  than  1000  were  banished, 
to  America.  Lord  Nithsdale  effected  his  escape  in  a  manner  which 
is  worth  relating.  His  wife  was  in  Scotland  when  she  heard  of  her 
husband's  danger.  She  set  off  at  once  for  London,  and  rode  the 
greatest  part  of  the  way  on  horseback,  and  in  so  deep  a  snow,  that 
it  was  frequently  up  to  her  saddle-girths.  On  her  arrival,  she  per- 
sonally petitioned  the  king  for  her  husband's  life,  but  in  vain.  She 
therefore  set  herself  to  work  to  effect  his  escape  from  prison. 

3.  Having  permission  to  visit  her  lord,  and  to  bring  with  her  one 
friend  at  a  time,  to  take  leave  of  him  before  his  death,  she  took  a 
Mrs.  Mills  and  another  lady  in  a  coach  to  the  Tower,  and  left  the 
former  waiting  in  the  carriage,  while  she  and  the  other  lady  went 
into  Lord  Nithsdale's  apartment.  This  lady,  who  was  of  a  slender 
shape,  had  on  two  suits  of  clothes,  and  two  riding-hoods. 

4.  One  of  these  suits  she  took  off  and  left  with  Lord  Nithsdale, 
and  then  went  back  to  the  carriage,  where  she  waited  while  Mrs. 
Mills  paid  her  visit.  Mrs.  Mills  changed  her  dress  for  the  one  the 
other  lady  had  left,  and  then  returned  to  the  coach.  As  Mrs.  Mills 
was  a  large,  stout  woman,  her  clothes  fitted  Lord  Nithsdale  very 
well ;  but  as  he  was  of  a  dark  complexion,  and  she  of  a  fair  one,  with 
yellow  hair,  some  further  contrivance  was  necessary  before  he  could 
pass  for  her  without  remark. 

5.  However,  by  the  help  of  white  and  red  paint,  and  painting 
his  eyebrows  yellow,  and  putting  on  a  woman's  wig  of  yellow  hair, 
he  was  made  a  very  tolerable  copy  of  good  Mrs.  Mills.  When  his 
disguise  was  completed,  his  wife,  who  had  assisted  at  his  toilet,  con- 
ducted him  out  of  the  room,  and,  in  the  hearing  of  the  guards,  called 
him  Betty,  and  told  him  to  run  quickly  and  send  her  maid  to  her. 
The  guards,  suspecting  nothing,  opened  the  doors  for  the  supposed 
Betty. 

6.  Thus  Lord  Nithsdale  got  out  of  prison,  and  was  conducted  to  a 
lodging  that  had  been  provided.  In  the  mean  time.  Lady  Nithsdale 
returned  to  the  room  that  had  been  her  lord's  prison,  and  began  to 
talk  in  a  loud  voice,  and  sometimes  imitated  his,  to  make  the  guards 
on  the  outside  of  the  door  believe  they  were  conversing  together. 
How  she  had  the  power  to  do  this,  we  can  hardly  imagine,  for  her 
poor  heart  must  have  been  beating  all  the  time  with  fear  lest  her 
husband  should  be  discovered  in  his  disguise. 

7.  After  she  had  carried  on  the  pretended  conversation  for  some 
time,  she  left  the  prison,  and  hastened  to  the  place  of  her  lord's  con- 
cealment. A  miserable  place  it  was,  being  a  small  room  in  a 
wretched  house,  full  of  all  sorts  of  lodgers.  In  this  apartment  they 
remained  three  days ;  and  that  it  might  not  be  known  that  it  was 
inhabited,  they  sat  perfectly  still  during  the  whole  time,  with  nothing 
to  eat  but  some  bread  and  wine  which  Mrs.  Mills,  who  came  to 
them  once  or  twice,  brought  in  her  pocket. 

8.  At  last  this  indefatigable  friend,  having  prepared  everything  for 

CXCVI. — 1.  What  of  the  Earl  of  Derwentwater  and  his  companions?    2.  Relate  the 


376  DEATH   OF   GEORGE    I.. 1727. 

his  leaving  the  kingdom,  released  the  prisoners,  and  took  Lord  Niths- 
dale  to  the  house  of  the  Venetian  ambassador,  who  was  about  to 
send  his  carriage  to  Dover.  Nithsdale  put  on  a  suit  of  livery,  as 
the  uniform  dress  usually  worn  by  the  servants  of  the  rich  is  called, 
and  so  passed  safely  to  Dover,  and  thence  to  Calais.  The  passage 
across  the  channel  from  Dover  to  Calais  was  so  short,  that  the  cap- 
tain of  the  vessel  observed,  that  the  wind  could  not  have  served 
them  better  if  his  passengers  had  been  flying  for  their  lives. 

9.  No  further  attempt  was  made  by  the  Jacobites  in  England  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  George  I.  in  favor  of  the  pretender.  Indeed,  after 
he  had  been  in  Scotland,  and  his  adherents  had  seen  that  he  was 
not  the  high-minded  hero  they  had  enthusiastically  fancied  him  to 
be,  his  cause  visibly  declined.  He  was,  in  fact,  a  man  of  very  slen- 
der abilities,  and  of  a  mean,  selfish  character. 

10.  Little  else  worthy  of  mention  occurred  during  the  reign  of 
George  I.,  if  we  except  the  South-Sea  Scheme,  as  it  was  called.  This 
was  contrived  by  Sir  John  Blount,  a  speculating  man,  and  the  object 
was  to  enable  an  association  of  men,  called  the  South-Sea  Company, 
because  it  was  originally  formed  to  trade  to  the  Pacific  or  South 
Seas,  to  buy  up  all  the  debt  of  Great  Britain.  This  debt  amounted 
to  a  very  large  sum,  and  the  greater  part  was  contracted  by  Wil- 
liam, in  carrying  on  his  wars  upon  the  continent. 

11.  It  was  made  to  appear  that  the  speculation  would  be  enor- 
mously profitable  to  the  company,  and  the  whole  nation,  as  if  by  a 
general  impulse  of  avarice,  became  eager  to  engage  in  it.  Multi- 
tudes advanced  their  whole  fortunes,  in  the  expectation  of  receiving 
a  great  return.  But  the  bubble  soon  burst,  and  the  whole  was 
found  to  be  a  fraudulent  scheme  of  a  few  unprincipled  speculators. 

12.  The  king  was  much  attached  to  Hanover,  and  made  frequent 
visits  thither.  In  1727,  he  set  out  with  the  intention  of  going  there 
once  more.  He  had  proceeded  as  far  hs  Delden,  a  small  town  on 
the  frontiers  of  Germany,  when  he  was  taken  extremely  ill.  Instead 
of  stopping,  he  pushed  forward,  in  the  hope  of  reaching  the  palace 
of  his  brother,  who  was  Bishop  of  Osnaburg.  But  he  did  not  live  to 
get  there.  When  the  carriage  stopped  at  the  gate  of  the  palace,  he 
was  found  lying  a  corpse  within.  He  died  in  the  sixty-eighth  year 
of  his  age,  and  thirteenth  of  his  reign. 

FAMILY  OF  GEORGE  I. 

WIFE. 
I'    Sophia  Dorothea,  of  Zell. 

CHILDREN. 

George  Augustus,  Prince  of  Wales. 

A  daughter,  married  to  Frederick  William,  King  of  Prussia. 

particulars  of  Nithsdale's  escape,  9.  "W^ere  any  other  attempts  made  in  tills  reign  tc 
restore  the  Stuarts?  10.  What  of  the  Soutb-Sea  Scheme?  12.  Relate  the  particulars  of 
the  king's  death.    What  was  the  length  of  his  life  ?    Of  his  reign  ? 


GEORGE   II. — 1727.  377 


CHAPTER  CXCVII. 

Oeorgt  11. — Qi^een  Caroline. —  War  on  the  Continent. — Battle  of  Fon,- 
tenoy. — Anson's  Voyage  round  the  world. 

1.  George  II.  was  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  when,  by  the 
sudden  death  of  his  father,  he  became  king,  1727.  In  his  person  he 
was  below  the  middle  height,  well  shaped  and  upright.  His  com 
plexion  was  fair,  his  nose  aquiline,  and  his  eyes  remarkably  promi- 
nent. His  abilities  were  inferior  to  those  of  his  father,  and  his  temper 
hasty.  He  was  simple  in  his  tastes  and  habits.  His  strongest  feeling 
was  a  preference  for  Hanover  to  England. 

2.  His  wife.  Queen  Caroline,  united  brilliant  beauty  to  a  strong 
understanding  and  great  goodness  of  heart.  We  have  already  men- 
tioned her  regard  for  men  of  science,  and  with  such  she  delighted  to 
converse.  She  died  in  1737,  and  the  king's  grief  for  her  loss  was 
sincere  and  excessive,  though  during  her  life  he  had  not  always 
treated  her  with  tenderness ;  for  which  her  mischievous  interference 
in  politics  furnished  some  apology. 

3.  George  II.,  on  his  accession,  found  the  country  in  a  state  of 
great  tranquillity,  and  little  occurred  for  many  years  to  disturb  it. 
The  winter  of  1740  was  remarkable  for  the  most  severe  frost  that  had 
ever  been  known  in  England.  It  began  at  Christmas,  and  lasted  till 
the  latter  end  of  February.  The  Thames  was  so  strongly  frozen 
over,  that  tents  and  booths  were  raised  upon  it,  and  various  sports 
were  exhibited  upon  the  ice  for  the  diversion  of  the  people. 

4.  But  these  amusements  could  not  divert  the  poor  from  the  feel- 
ing of  the  privations  they  suffered  from  the  continuance  of  the  severe 
weather.  The  watermen  and  fishermen  were  thrown  out  of  work, 
and  fuel  and  provisions  became  so  dear,  that,  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  charity  of  the  rich,  many  persons  must  have  perished  with  cold 
and  hunger. 

5.  A  contest  arose  about  this  time  between  Maria  Theresa  and  the 
Elector  of  Bavaria,  for  the  throne  of  Germany.  Nearly  all  the  states 
of  Europe  became  involved  in  the  quarrel  on  one  side  or  the  other. 
The  King  of  England  espoused  the  cause  of  Maria  Theresa,  and, 
in  1743,  took  the  command  of  his  troops  on  the  continent  in  person. 
The  only  engagement  in  which  he  had  a  part,  appears  to  have  been 
in  repelling  an  attack  of  the  French  upon  his  army,  while  posted  at 
Dettingen. 

6.  In  this  he  displayed  great  personal  courage,  exposing  himself 
^-o  the  fire  of  the  musketry  and  cannon,  riding  along  the  line  and 
sncouraging  the  men  to  fight  for  the  honor  of  England.  This  was 
the  last  occasion  on  which  a  king  of  England  exposed  his  person  in 
battle.  Upon  his  departure,  the  command  of  the  army  devolved 
upon  his  son,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  whp,  on  the  30th  of  April, 
1745,  was  defeated  by  the  French  at  Fontenoy. 

CXCVII.— 1.  Wliat  of  George  II.?  2.  What  of  Quoon  Caroline?  3.  What  of  the 
«tate  of  the  cou"try?    What  of  the  winter  of  1740?    5.  In  what  war  did  he  engage! 

.S2* 


378    Anson's  voyage  round  the  world. — 1740-1744. 

7.  The  English  naval  forces  conducted  themselves  with  theii 
usual  gallantry  during  this  war,  but  there  is  nothing  worthy  of  spe- 
cial mention,  except  the  expedition  of  Commodore  Anson.  *  On  the 
18th  of  September,  1740,  he  sailed  from  England,  with  a  small 
squadron,  to  act  against  the  Spanish  settlements  in  Chili  and  Peru, 
on  the  western  side  of  South  America.  Touching  at  the  island  of 
Madeira,  he  proceeded  thence  to  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands;  thence 
sailing  along  the  coast  of  Brazil,  he  stopped  at  the  island  of  St. 
Catharine. 

8.  At  this  delightful  island,  which  lies  in  twenty-seven  degrees 
south  latitude,  and  which  enjoys  all  the  verdure  and  fruitfulness  of 
that  luxurious  climate,  he  remained  some  time,  for  the  purpose  of 
recruiting  the  strength  of  his  men.  He  then  again  set  sail,  coasting 
along  the  shores  of  Patagonia,  and,  in  about  five  months  from  the 
time  he  left  England,  he  entered  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  His  own 
ship,  the  Centurion,  at  last  reached  the  island  of  Juan  Fernandez, 
in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  after  encountering  the  utmost  perils  from  most 
horrible  tempests,  by  which  the  rest  of  the  fleet  were  dispersed  or 
wrecked. 

9.  Here  he  was  joined  by  the  Gloucester  ship  of  war  and  two 
small  vessels  with  stores.  After  repairing  the  ships,  which  were 
much  shattered,  and  refreshing  the  men,  a  large  number  of  whom 
were  ill  of  the  scurvy,  a  disease  which  the  constant  use  of  salted  pro- 
visions is  apt  to  bring  upon  seamen,  he  proceeded  to  execute  the 
object  of  the  expedition.  He  plundered  and  burnt  the  town  of  Paita, 
in  Quito,  and  took  several  Spanish  vessels.  By  this  time  he  had  lost 
so  many  of  his  men  by  sickness,  that  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  all 
his  vessels,  except  the  Centurion. 

10.  Although  the  survivors  of  all  the  crews  had  been  taken  on 
board  this  ship,  yet  the  sickness  made  such  ravages,  and  the  ship 
itself  was  in  such  a  disabled  condition,  that  Anson  found  himself 
obliged  to  leave  the  enemy's  coast.  He  then  stretched  across  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  reached  with  difficulty  the  beautiful  little  island 
of  Tinian,  one  of  the  Ladrones,  of  which  he  gives  a  most  delightful 
account,  and  where  he  says  verdant  fields,  groves,  cascades,  and 
flowers,  contributed  to  please  the  senses. 

11.  What  was  of  more  consequence  to  them,  they  found  in  great 
abundance  all  that  a  sea-beaten  company  of  mariners  could  desire: 
clear  and  wholesome  water,  medicinal  herbs,  domestic  animals,  and 
the  materials  for  refitting  their  vessel.  When  his  men  had  recovered 
their  health,  Anson  proceeded  to  Canton,  where  he  obtained  a  rein- 
forcement of  Dutch  and  Indian  sailors.  He  then  returned  towards 
the  coast  of  America,  in  the  hope  of  intercepting  a  rich  treasure- 
ship,  which  was  known  to  sail  annually  from  Acapulco,  a  port  of 
Mexico,  to  Manilla,  in  the  Philippine  Isles. 

12.  On  the  9th  of  June,  1743,  the  ship  they  were  in  search  of 
came  in  sight.  She  was  much  stronger  than  the  Centurion,  heavily 
armed,  and  having  twice  as  many  men.  Still  Anson  did  not  hesitate 
to  attack  her,  and,  after  a  short  engagement,  she  surrendered.    He 

6.  What  of  his  conduct?     When  and  where  was  the  English  army  defeated?     7.  Relate 


I 


CHARLES    EDWARD    ARRIVES    IN    SCOTLAND. 1745.       379 

then  returned  to  England  by  the  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
He  arrived  at  Spithead,  June  14th,  1744,  having  been  absent  nearly 
four  years,  and  having  sailed  round  the  globe ;  a  frequent  occurrence 
in  our  days,  but  which,  in  Anson's  time,  was  thought  to  be  no  small 
achievement. 

13,  The  quantity  of  money  he  brought  home  was  so  great,  that  it 
required  thirty-two  wagons  to  convey  it  to  London.  This  train  of 
vehicles  made  quite  a  procession,  and  was  accompanied  with  music 
playing  and  people  shouting.  A  part  of  the  stout  ship  Centurion  is 
yet  in  existence.  The  huge  red  lion,  that  once  was  its  head,  now 
adorns  a  garden  in  Sussex.  Anson  received  many  public  honors, 
and  became  quite  an  oracle  in  naval  affairs. 

yj^^^ 


,y^/c] 


CHAPTER  CXCVIII. 

T^j/oun^  Prpfprtrlp.r^Jn£.^<i  j^  ^Qj^^jJ^j^rl — Is  victorious  at  Prestonpans. 
dh^iarclies  into  England. — Is  compelled  to  retreat. 


1.  The  possession  of  Hanover  by  the  crown  of  Great  Britain  has 
been  from  the  beginning  a  source  of  evil  to  the  latter  country ;  since 
it  has  involved  her  in  all  the  quarrels  between  the  states  of  the 
continent,  of  which  her  insular  situation  would  otherwise  have  made 
her  a  mere  spectator,  or,  perhaps,  a  mediator.  The  great  bodies  of 
troops,  and  immense  sums  of  money,  which  were  annually  sent  out 
of  the  kingdom,  excited  the  discontent  of  the  people. 

2.  At  length  the  contests  in  parliament  became  so  violent,  and  the 
murmurs  of  the  people  so  loud,  that  the  friends  of  the  "pretender  were 
induced  to  belike  that  his  presence  in  England  would  produce  a  gen- 
eral rising  of  the  people  in  his  favor.  James  himself  was  of  too 
sluggish  a  nature  to  engage  personally  in  the  contest;  he,  therefore, 
deputed  Charles  Edward,  his  oldest  son,  to  be  his  representative. 

3.  In  June,  1745,  this  prince  embarked,  with  a  few  Scotch  and 
Irish  gentlemen,  in  a  small  frigate.  His  supply  of  arms  was  put  on 
board  a  French  ship,  which  was  so  much  disabled  in  an  engagement 
with  an  English  vessel,  that  it  was  obliged  to  put  back  to  France. 
The  prince's  vessel  was  more  fortunate,  and,  on  the  16th  of  July,  he 
landed  at  Borodale,  and  was  joined  by  a  considerable  number  of 
Highlanders. 

4.  A  moment  more  favorable  for  this  enterprise  could  not  have 
been  chosen.  The  king  was  in  Hanover;  the  Duke  of  Cumberland, 
with  the  best  part  of  the  troops,  was  in  Flanders;  and  the  ministers 


the  particulars  of  Anson's  voyage,  till  he  reached  Juan  Fernandez.    Till  his  arrival  at 
Canton.    The  remainder  of  the  voyage.    13.  What  of  the  remains  of  his  ship? 

CXCVni.— 1.   What  of  the  possession  of  Hanover   by  England  ?    3.  When  did  the 
young  pretender  embark  for  Great  Britain  ?     What  of  his  voyage  ?    4.  What  rendered 


380  BATTLE    OF   PnESTONPANS. 1745. 

and  parliament  were  divided,  as  usual,  by  vehement  political  dis- 
putes. But  Charles  could  not  make  the  most  of  these  advantages,  for 
want  of  the  arms  which  were  in  the  French  ship,  on  board  of  which 
a  considerable  number  of  French  officers  had  embarked,  whose  ex- 
perience would  have  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  him. 

5.  The  news  of  his  arrival  threw  all  England  into  commotion. 
But  the  result  was  not  such  as  the  prince  had  expected ;  instead  of 
being  joined  by  the  opponents  of  the  measures  of  the  government, 
the  political  clisputants  forgot  their  animosities,  and  joined  in  the 
common  cause  against  the  Jacobites.  The  king  soon  returned,  and 
messengers  were  instantly  despatched,  and  a  reward  of  $150,000  was 
offered  to  any  one  who  would  seize  Charles  Edward ;  Charles,  in 
retaliation,  offered  the  same  price  for  the  head  of  the  "  Elector  of 
Hanover." 

6.  Meanwhile,  the  army  of  the  prince  was  daily  increasing  in 
number,  as  he  advanced  into  the  country.  On  the  16th  of  Septem- 
ber he  took  possession  of  the  town  of  Edinburgh,  but  could  not  take 
the  castle,  which  held  out  for  King  George.  Sir  John  Cope,  who 
commanded  that  king's  forces  in  Scotland,  hastened  to  its  relief,  and 
on  the  20th  of  September,  encamped  at  Prestonpans,  about  nine 
miles  distant.  The  next  morning  Charles  advanced  to  meet  him, 
and  the  half-armed  Highlanders  attacked  the  king's  troops  with  so 
much  fury,  that  the  latter  could  not  stand  the  assault,  but  fled  with 
the  utmost  precipitation. 

7.  By  this  victory  the  prince  obtained  what  he  wanted  most  of  all, 
arms,  ammunition,  and  a  train  of  artillery.  A  considerable  portion 
of  Scotland  was  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Jacobites.  The  good 
conduct  of  Prince  Charles  greatly  increased  the  popularity  of  his 
cause.  He  showed  himself  both  vigorous  in  action  and  prudent  in 
council,  and  bore  his  success  with  moderation.  The  King  of  France, 
seeing  that  his  affairs  were  prosperous,  sent  him  a  supply  of  arms 
and  officers,  and  promised  that  a  large  body  of  French  should  be 
landed  in  the  south  of  England.  ♦ 

8.  Relying  on  this  promise,  Charles  passed  the  borders  of  Scotland, 
and  advanced  as  far  as  Derby,  which  is  within  four  days'  march  of 
London.  Indescribable  alarm  and  consternation  prevailed  in  that 
city.  Those  who  were  in  London  fled  into  the  country,  while  those 
in  the  country  fled  to  London,  every  person  thinking  the  place  he 
was  in  the  place  of  danger.  The  king  acted  with  energy  and  de- 
cision, and  prepared  to  take  the  field  in  person. 

9.  But  at  the  time  when  the  alarm  in  London  had  risen  to  the 
utmost  height,  and  the  approach  of  the  rebels  was  hourly  expected, 
the  threatening  storm  suddenly  dispersed.  The  Scotch  officers, 
hearing  no  tidings  of  the  landing  of  their  French  allies,  began  to  be 
afraid  that  they  should  be  hemmed  in  by  the  English  troops,  which 
were  collecting  from  all  parts ;  they,  therefore,  resolved  to  retreat 
homewards. 

10.  This  measure  was  much  against  the  wishes  of  the  prince,  who 

the  time  favorable  for  his  attempt?  5.  What  effect  did  his  arrival  produce?  6.  What 
»f  his  success?    In  what  battle  was  he  victorious?    8.  What  induced  him  to  march  into 


BATTLE   OF    FALKIRK. — 1746.  381 

was  for  pushing  on  to  London,  before  the  consternation  had  subsided 
or  the  preparations  for  its  defence  were  complete.  Eeluctantly 
compelled  to  submit  to  the  decision  of  the  rest,  Prince  Charles,  dis- 
appointed and  spiritless,  followed  in  the  rear  of  the  army.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark,  that,  during  the  six  weeks  which  the  Scotch 
troops  had  been  in  England,  they  committed  no  kind  of  outrage  or 
robbery,  although  they  had  often  suffered  greatly  from  hungerT" 


i 


CHAPTEE    CXCIX. 


The  Pretender  is  victorious  at  Falkirk,  hut^  is  defeated  at  CuUoden. — 
Horrible  Cruelties  practiced  by  the  Victors. — Rqinantic  Adventure* 
of  Prince  Charles  Edward. 


BATyi,B  fig  fiTTI<I<03agN. 

1.  Charles  soon  recovered  his  spirit  when  the  opportunity  for 
active  operations  offered  itself.  On  January  13, 1746,  he  obtained  a 
victory  at  Falkirk,  over  a  part  of  the  English  army.  Meanwhile, 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  who  had  returned  from  the  continent,  had 
taken  the  command  of  the  king's  forces,  and  now  advanced  to 
Nairn,  which  is  nine  miles  distant  from  Culloden,  where  the  prince 
was  posted. 

2.  Charles,  hearing  of  the  approach  of  the  English  army,  set  out 
on  the  night  of  the  15th  of  April,  with  the  design  of  surprising  the 
enemy.    He  began  his  march  in  two  columns ;  but  his  men,  having 

England?    What  of  the  effect  of  his  progress?    9,  Why  did  he  retreat?    10.  What  •f 
the  prince?    What  of  the  conduct  of  the  Scotch  troops? 
OXOIX.— 1.  In  what  battle  was  the  prince  victorious?    In  what  was  he  defeated? 


382  CRUELTIES    PRACTISED   BY    THE   VICTORS. 

been  under  arms  all  the  night  before,  were  many  of  them  overpow- 
ered by  sleep  and  weariness.  Many  fell  down  from  fatigue,  ana 
were  unable  to  proceed.  It  now  became  absolutely  necessary  to 
abandon  the  intended  attack,  and  to  retreat. 

3.  When  they  got  back  to  Culloden,  the  poor  wearied  soldiers  lay 
down  on  the  bare  heath  and  slept;  but  they  were  soon  roused  from 
their  repose  by  some  of  their  companions,  who  had  lain  down  by  the 
way  during  the  retreat,  and  who,  having  been  awakened  by  the 
noise  of  the  Engliala  army,  which  was  advancing,  had  hastened  to 
inform  the  prince  of  its  approach.  The  king's  troops  came  in  sight 
about  noon,  and,  in  less  than  half  an  hour  from  the  first  firing,  the 
army  of  Charles  was  totally  defeated. 

4.'  The  dreadful  cruelties  practised  upon  the  vanquished,  by  the 
orders  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  made  his  name  to  be  execrated 
throughout  Scotland,  and  have  fixed  an  indelible  stain  upon  his 
memory.  It  is  said  that,  in  a  district  of  nearly  fifty  miles  round 
Lochiel,  there  was,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  neither  house  nor 
cottage,  neither  men  nor  beasts  to  be  seen — so  complete  was  the 
ruin,  silence  and  desolation. 

5.  The  jails  of  England  were  now  filled  with  prisoners.  Many 
were  executed,  and  many  were  transported  to  America.  Lords  Bal- 
merino,  Kilmarnock,  and  Lovat,  and  Mr.  Radclifte,  who  were  the 
principal  persons  concerned,  were  carried  to  London  and  executed. 
They  were  the  last  persons  who  suffered  the  punishment  of  behead- 
ing in  England.  Mr.  Radcliffe  was  a  brother  of  that  Lord  Der- 
wentwater,  who  was  out  in  1716,  as  the  Jacobites  expressed  the 
being  concerned  in  open  hostilities  to  the  king. 

6.  We  must  now  return  to  the  young  prince,  and  give  an  account 
of  his  escape.  He  remained  upon  the  field  at  Culloden  as  long  as 
any  hope  remained  of  retrieving  the  battle,  and  then  rode  off",  at- 
tended by  a  few  friends.  The  safety  of  all  required  that  these  should 
part  company,  and  conceal  themselves  as  they  best  could  from  the 
soldiers,  who  scattered  themselves  over  the  country  in  pursuit  of 
Charles,  with  an  eagerness  much  increased  by  the  enormous  reward 
offered  for  his  capture. 

7.  During  the  next  five  months  the  prince  wandered  among  the 
Highlands,  owing  his  preservation  to  the  fidelity  of  the  poor  inhab- 
itants, who  concealed  him  in  their  huts  and  caves,  at  the  risk  of  their 
own  lives.  There  is  an  interesting  account  of  a  young  lady  who  con- 
trived to  assist  him.  Charles  was  desirous  to  go  from  the  Isle  of 
Lewis,  where  he  had  been  some  time  concealed,  to  the  Isle  of  Skye ; 
but  it  was  difficult  to  get  there,  on  account  of  the  troops  who  were 
yet  on  the  watch  for  him.  Miss  Flora  Macdonald  offered  to  con- 
duct him,  if  he  would  put  on  woman's  clothes  and  pass  for  her  maid. 

8.  The  prince  readily  agreed,  and  assumed  the  name  and  dress  of 
Betty  Bourke,  an  Irish  girl.  He  embarked  with  Flora  in  an  open 
boat,  and  they  landed  safely  at  Skye.  After  they  reached  this  place, 
they  had  some  distance  to  walk;  and  the  prince,  who  was  very  tall, 

Relate  the  particulars  of  that  of  Culloden.  4.  What  of  the  conduct  of  the  victors?  % 
7,  8.  Relate  the  adventures  of  the  prince  from  the  battle  of  Culloden  till  his  arrival  al 


ADVENTURES   OF   PRINCE   CHARLES   EDWARD. 


383 


and  looked  excessively  awkward  in  woman's  clothes,  drew  the  at- 
tention of  every  one  who  passed,  and  was  every  moment  in  danger 
of  being  discovered.  At  last  they  arrived  at  Kingsborough,  a  house 
belonging  to  one  of  the  clan  of  Macdonalds. 


—  ESCAPE  OF  THE  PRETENDER. 

9.  Here  the  prince  enjoyed  the  luxuiy  of  lying  on  a  bed,  a  pleasure 
which  he  had  not  experienced  for  many  weeks;  and  he  slept  so 
soundly  that  he  did  not  awake  till  the  middle  of  the  following  day. 
They  then  proceeded  to  Portree ;  but  before  they  reached  that  place 
the  prince  changed  his  dress,  and,  putting  on  a  Highland  plaid  and 
a  Scotch  bonnet  over  his  wig,  was  metamorphosed  from  Betty  Bourke 
into  a  stout  Highlander.  Here  he  parted  with  his  female  guide,  and 
was  conducted  by  Malcolm  Macloud  to  his  home  at  Rasay. 

10.  He  was  there  concealed  in  a  small  hut,  with  a  bed  of  dry 
heather  to  lie  on ;  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  provisions  were 
procured  for  him.  Even  this  wretched  place  was  not  one  of  safety, 
so  they  returned  to  Skye,  and,  landing  at  Strath,  took  shelter  in  a. 
cow-house.  After  remaining  at  Skye  for  a  short  time,  they  passed 
over  to  the  mainland.  During  the  time  Charles  was  with  Macloud, 
he  passed  for  a  servant  of  that  gentleman,  and  the  better  to  dis- 
guise himself  he  tied  a  handkerchief  over  his  head,  put  a  nightcap 
over  that,  and  tore  the  ruffles  of  his  shirt,  to  make  his  appearance 
more  shabby. 

11.  He  was  afterwards  concealed  for  nearly  six  weeks  in  a  cave 
where  seven  Highlanders  had  previously  taken  refuge.  While  he 
was  there  he  lived  on  the  venison  which  these  men  contrived  to  kill 
by  night.  Being  at  length  obliged  to  quit  this  concealment,  he  and 
his  new  associates  made  their  escape  into  the  mountains  by  walking 


Kingsborough.    9.  Till   he  left  Skye.    11.  Till  he  leaves  Scotland      13.  What  of  hit 


S84    STYLE   OF   DRESS   IN    GEORGE   II.'s   TIME. — 1727-1760. 

along  the  rocky  channel  of  a  torrent.  In  the  course  of  their  journey 
Charles  became  so  exhausted  for  want  of  food,  and  fatigue,  that  he 
could  walk  no  further;  and  two  of  the  men  carried  him  over  the 
rugged  paths  to  a  place  where  their  friends  had  provided  food  for 
them. 

12.  On  the  29th  of  August  the  prince  reached  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment which  had  been  prepared  by  him,  and  which  was  called  the 
Cage,  a  habitation  formed  in  the  hollow  of  a  small  cluster  of  bushes, 
which  grew  out  of  a  high  rock.  The  floor  was  composed  of  trunks 
of  trees,  and  was  made  level  by  having  earth  spread  on  it.  The 
trees  which  grew  at  the  sides  were  interwoven  with  ropes,  made  of 
heath,  and  the  top  was  thatched  with  long  grass. 

13.  This  singular  dwelling  was  large  enough  to  contain  seven 
persons,  and  here  the  prince,  with  Cameron  of  Lochiel,  stayed  till 
September  13th,  when  he  received  information  that  two  French 
ships  had  arrived  off  the  coast.  He  got  on  board  one  of  them,  but 
his  dangers  were  not  yet  over,  for  British  ships  guarded  all  the 
neighboring  seas.  Under  shelter  of  a  dense  fog  he  passed  through 
the  midst  of  the  enemy's  squadron,  and  on  the  29th  of  September, 
1746,  landed  safely  in  France. 

14.  He  was  so  worn  out  by  the  fatigues  and  hardships  he  had 
undergone,  that  he  was  scarcely  to  be  known  as  the  same  handsome 
and  sprightly  youth,  who  had  left  France,  full  of  animation  and 
hope,  the  year  before.  By  the  terms  of  a  general  peace,  made  at 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  in  1748,  Louis  withdrew  his  protection  from  the 
Stuart  family,  who  retired  to  Rome.  The  young  pretender  long 
kept  up  a  secret  correspondence  with  the  Jacobites  in  England, 
and  once,  if  not  often er,  he  came  privately  to  London. 

15.  As  he  advanced  in  years,  his  character  underwent  a  great 
change  for  the  worse,  and  his  friends  abandoned  his  cause  in  dis- 
gust. He  took  the  name  of  Count  d'Albany,  and  died  in  1784, 
leav^ing  no  children.  His  brother,  Cardinal  York,  who  then  became 
the  sole  representative  of  the  royal  house  of  Stuart,  died  at  a  very 
advanced  age,  in  1807,  and  with  him  the  family  became  extinct. 


CHAPTER  CC. 


The  Style  of  Dress  in  George  II.'s  Time. — 0/  the  Farmer' a  FeUival. — 
Qki3tyksi'^^  NfiVl-Btuk- — New-year's  Day  changed. 

1.  In  noticing  the  changes  of  dress,  we  may  remark  that  the  long 
flowing  wigs  of  the  preceding  age  had  now  given  place  to  a  snug 
kind  of  tie-wig ;  but  in  other  respects  the  style  of  dress  had  by  no 

voyage  to  France?    14.  What  of  his  appearance?    15.  Relate  the  remaining  particular! 
about  the  Stuart  family. 


t  to. 


CUSTOMS   AMONG   THE   COUNTRY    PEOPLE.  885 

• 

means  improved.  Ladies  wore  very  long  waists,  and  laced  so  tigln 
that  they  suffered  great  pain  from  their  endeavors  to  acquii-c  wliai 
they  esteemed  a  fine  shape. 

2.  They  also  wore  such  enormous  hoops,  that  they  could  not, 
without  difiiculty,  go  through  a  moderately  wide  doorway ;  and  their 
heads  and  shoulders  looked  as  if  they  were  rising  out  of  a  tub.  The 
gown  was  commonly  of  rich  silk,  ornamented  with  a  variety  of  trim- 
ii.ings.  The  head  was  dressed  exceedingly  high,  and  the  hair  drav>'n 
tight  off  the  face.  At  the  elbows  hung  long  ruffles,  something  like 
the  ears  of  a  poodle  dog,  which  were  often  catching  fire  at  the  can- 
dins,  or  dipping  in  the  dishes  at  table. 

3.  It  may  be  well  to  give  a  particular  description  of  the  dress  of 
a  lady  of  fashion  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century.  In  the  first 
place,  she  had  on  a  black  silk  petticoat,  trimmed  with  a  red  and 
white  calico  border,  and  a  cherry-colored  bodice,  trimmed  with  blue 
and  silver.  She  wore,  in  addition,  a  yellow  satin  apron,  and  a  train 
of  dove-colored  silk,  brocaded  with  large  trees.  The  ladies  appear 
to  have  been  as  stiff"  and  formal  in  their  intercourse  with  one 
another,  as  in  their  style  of  dress. 

4.  As  for  the  gentlemen,  those  at  least  who  lived  in  towns,  they 
generally  spent  their  evenings  at  clubs  and  coffee-houses ;  and  drinking 
was  so  much  the  custom  amongst  them,  that  they  rarely  met  without 
becoming  intoxicated.  A  foreigner,  who  visited  London  about  the 
end  of  the  reign  of  George  I.,  has  given  us  the  following  account  of 
his  way  of  spending  his  time  there :  "  We  rise  by  nine,  and  either 
attend  great  men's  levees,  or  tea-tables,  till  about  eleven  or  twelve, 
the  fashionable  folks  assemble  in  several  chocolate  and  coffee-houses. 

5.  "  We  are  carried  to  these  places  in  sedan  chairs.  If  it  be  fine, 
we  take  a  turn  in  the  park  till  two,  when  we  go  to  dinner  with  a 
party  at  the  tavern,  where  we  sit  till  six,  and  then  go  to  the  play 
After  the  play  the  best  company  commonly  go  to  Tom's  or  Will's 
coffee-houses,  and  spend  the  time  till  midnight  in  conversation, 
cards  or  politics ;  but  party  runs  so  high  here  that  whigs  and  tories 
have  each  their  coffee-houses,  and  would  not,  on  any  account,  be 
seen  at  any  other.  If  you  like  the  company  of  the  ladies,  there  are 
assemblies  at  most  houses  of  people  of  quality." 

6.  Among  the  country  people  a  variety  of  pleasant  customs  })rc- 
vailed  a  century  ago,  which  have  now  almost  disappeared.  Among 
the  happiest  was  the  festival  of  harvest-home.  This  merry-making 
was  common  throughout  England,  but  different  ceremonies  were 
observed  in  different  places,  though  everywhere  they  ended  with  a 
s:ood  feast  at  the  house  of  the  proprietor  of  the  land,  to  which  all 
ilie  neighbors,  as  well  as  the  laborers  on  the  farm,  were  heartily 
welcomed.  In  England  the  farms  are  generally  large,  and  a  great 
many  laborers,  both  male  and  female,  are  employed  upon  them. 

7.  In  some  places,  the  last  handful  of  grain  reaped  in  the  field 
was  called  the  maiden.    It  was  contrived  that  this  should  fall  into  the 


CO.— 1.  What  change  in  head-dress?     What  of  the  dress  of  ladies?    3.  Give  a  de- 
scription of  a  lady's  dress  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  century.     4,  5.  What  of  the 
manners  of  the  gentlemen  ?     6.  What  festival  was  observed  by  the  farmers?     10.  What 
33 


386  "OLD  style"  and  "new  style." 

hands  of  one  of  the  most  comely  lasses  in  the  field,  who  became  the 
queen  of  the  coming  feast.  The  maiden,  gayly  decorated  with  rib- 
bons, was  placed  on  the  top  of  the  last  load  of  grain  which  left  the 
field,  the  wagon  itself  being  gayly  decked  with  flowers  and  ribbons, 
and  was  thus  borne  home  in  triumph,  with  music  and  shouting. 

8.  There,  to  use  the  language  of  an  old  poet, 

"  For  3'our  mirth, 

You  shall  see,  first,  the  large  and  chief 
Foundation  of  j'our  feast,  fat  beef; 
With  upper  stories,  mutton,  veal, 
And  bacon,  which  makes  full  the  meal, 
With  several  dishes  standing  by, 
And  here  a  custard,  there  a  pie. 
And  here  all-tempting  furmety." 

9.  Dancing  and  various  mirthful  games  succeeded,  in  which  th« 
good  man  of  the  house  and  his  wife  took  part.  At  the  close  of  th>j 
festivities,  the  maiden  is  hung  up  in  some  conspicuous  part  of  tho 
farm-house,  where  it  remains  till  the  next  year,  and  it  would  be 
esteemed  a  very  unlucky  omen  if  any  accident  should  happen  to  it. 

10.  The  young  reader  may  have  been  puzzled  with  the  words 
"old  style"  and  "new  style,"  affixed  to  dates;  it  may  be  well, 
therefore,  to  explain  their  meaning.  Julius  Csesar,  the  Roman  gen- 
eral, caused  some  calculations  to  be  made  to  determine  the  length 
of  the  year.  These  calculations  made  it  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  days  and  six  hours.  But  the  increased  knowledge  of  astronomy 
has  enabled  the  modem  scientific  men  to  ascertain  that  this  reckon- 
ing was  eleven  minutes  too  much. 

11.  In  the  lapse  of  time,  these  eleven  minutes  accumulated  to 
eleven  days.  In  the  year  1672,  Pope  Gregory  XIII.  corrected  this 
error,  and  reduced  the  year  to  its  exact  length.  The  reader  will 
learn  elsewhere  how  he  guarded  against  a  recurrence  of  the  error. 
The  pope  made  use  of  his  power  to  secure  the  adoption  of  the  new  or 
Gregorian  style,  in  all  the  Catholic  countries  of  Europe,  but  Eng- 
land, Sweden,  and  Russia  still  retained  the  old  or  Julian  style. 

12.  The  English  merchants  found  it  a  great  inconvenience  to  use 
a  different  mode  of  computing  time  from  their  foreign  correspond- 
ents, and  the  hatred  of  the  pope,  which  had  led  to  the  retention  of 
this  error  for  so  long  a  time  after  it  was  pointed  out,  having  in  a 
great  degree  subsided,  in  1752,  the  British  parliament  ordered  the 
new  style  to  be  adopted  in  England.  The  eleven  days  were  taken 
out  of  September ;  the  day  after  the  2d  of  September  being  called 
the  14th,  instead  of  the  3d.  The  year,  also,  which,  till  that  time, 
had  been  reckoned  to  begin  at  the  25th  of  March,  has  since  been 
comjmted  from  the  1st  of  January. 

is  the  old  style  and  new  style  ?  12.  When  was  the  New  Style  adopted  in  England  ?  Hoi» 
was  the  change  effected?    What  other  change  was  made? 


THE  SEVEN   YEARS'   WAR. — 1765.  387 


CHAPTEE  CCI. 

The  Seven  Years^  War. —  General  Washington  gains  his  first  Laurels. 
—  Capture  of  Quebec^  and  Death  of  General  Wolfe. — Lord  Clive 
extends  the  British  Empire  in  India. — Death  of  George  II. — About 
Sir  Robert  Walpole. 

1  The  peace  which  had  been  made  at  Aix-la-Chapelle  in  1748 
continued  till  1755,  when  the  encroachment  of  the  French  upon  what 
were  then  British  colonies,  and  are  now  the  United  States,  led  to  a 
war,  which  entirely  involved  all  Europe,  and  is  often  called  the  Seven 
Years'  War.  It  was  in  this  that  General  Washington  first  distin- 
guished himself,  though  then  very  young,  by  his  prudent  conduct 
in  an  expedition  sent  out  to  act  against  the  French,  who  were  en- 
deavoring to  connect  their  settlements  in  Canada  and  Louisiana  by 
a  chain  of  forts  in  the  rear  of  the  English  colonies. 

2.  The  operations  of  the  war  were  at  first  very  unfavorable  to  the 
English,  The  ministry  were  divided  in  opinion,  and  very  ineffi- 
cient. The  man  of  all  others  most  competent  to  conduct  the  affairs 
of  the  nation  was  William  Pitt ;  but  his  political  principles  were  too 
liberal  to  suit  the  king,  and  it  was  not  till  the  will  of  the  people  was 
too  loudly  expressed  to  be  any  longer  disregarded,  that  George  con- 
sented to  commit  the  reins  of  government  to  his  hands. 

3.  A  decisive  change  now  took  place  in  the  fortunes  of  the  war  ; 
Canada  was  entirely  subdued,  and  the  French  power  annihilated  in 
that  part  of  the  American  continent.  This  was  not  effected,  how- 
ever, without  the  loss  of  one  of  the  most  popular  and  distinguished 
commanders  whom  the  English  ever  had  to  boast  of;  namely,  Gen- 
eral Wolfe,  who  was  killed  in  the  moment  of  victory  at  the  siege  of 
Quebec,  in  1759. 

4.  Upon  the  continent  of  Europe,  the  war  was  carried  on  by  Eng- 
land with  only  Frederick,  King  of  Prussia,  commonly  called  Frederick 
the  Great,  for  its  ally,  against  all  the  other  powers  combined.  But 
the  sagacity  and  military  skill  of  Frederick,  and  the  energy  of  Mr. 
Pitt,  enabled  her  to  sustain  with  success  the  apparently  unequal 
contest.  Hanover,  which,  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  had  been 
conquered  by  the  French,  was  recovered,  and  the  King  of  Prussia 
established  its  position  as  one  of  the  first-rate  powers  of  Europe. 
The  principal  battle  was  that  of  Minden,  fought  August  1st,  1759, 
in  which  the  English  and  Prussians  defeated  the  French. 

5.  In  the  East,  Lord  Clive,  who  had  rapidly  risen,  by  the  force 
of  his  own  abilities,  from  the  humble  situation  of  clerk  to  that  of 
commander-in-chief  of  the  forces,  laid  the  foundations  of  the  British 
empire  in  India.     Upon  the  ocean  the  British  flag  was  completely 

CCI. — 1.  How  long  did  peace  continue?  What  occasioned  the  renewal  of  war?  Who 
distinguished  himself  for  the  first  time  in  this  war  ?  2.  What  of  the  success  of  the  war 
on  the  part  of  England  ?  What  change  in  the  ministry  ?  3.  What  change  followed  in 
the  fortunes  of  the  war?  What  of  General  Wolfe?  4.  What  of  the  war  upon  the  conti- 
nent of  Europe?    Wba,^.  was  the  principal  bafttle  ?    5.  What  affairs  in  the  east?    6.  When 


888  DEATH   OF   GEORGE   II. — 1760. 

triumphant.  In  the  midst  of  these  successes,  the  king,  without  any 
previous  complaint,  was  suddenly  seized  with  the  agonies  of  death. 
He  had  hitherto  enjoyed  a  degree  of  health  and  bodily  vigor  very 
unusual  at  his  advanced  age,  and  which  seemed  to  give  the  promise 
of  a  much  longer  life. 

6.  On  the  25th  of  October,  1760,  he  rose  at  his  usual  hour,  and 
observed  to  his  attendants,  that,  as  the  morning  was  fine,  he  would 
walk  in  the  garden.  He  was  still  at  ithe  window,  observing  the 
weather,  when  he  fell  to  the  ground,  and  almost  immediately  expired. 
He  was  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  the  thirty-fc  arth 
of  his  reign.  During  the  whole  time  he  was  upon  the  throne,  po- 
litical contests  were  carried  on  with  great  animosity.  The  most 
distinguished  political  leaders  were  Eobert  Walpole,  Sir  William 
Wyndham,  Mr.  Pelham,  Sir  William  Pulteney,  and  Mr.  Pitt. 

7.  Sir  Eobert  Walpole  was  the  prime  minister  during  the  first 
half  of  this  reign.  He  made  use  of  very  disreputable  means  to 
keep  himself  in  ofiice.  Since  the  revolution  of  1688,  England  has 
been  essentially  a  free  government,  and  no  man  can  sustain  him- 
self in  office  as  minister,  unless  his  measures  are  approved  by  a 
majority  of  the  votes  of  the  house  of  commons,  who  are  in  theory 
the  representatives  of  the  people  of  England. 

8.  lo  secure  to  himself  this  majority,  Walpole  made  a  most  liberal 
distribution  of  money  and  offices,  a  mode  of  retaining  power  which 
cannot  forever  be  successful,  since  all  who  are  venal  will  oppose  for 
the  very  purpose  of  being  bought  over;  and  to  the  minister's  means 
there  must  be  a  limit.  And  so  Sir  Eobert  found,  for,  in  1742,  he 
was  forced  to  resign.     He  was,  however,  made  Earl  of  Orford. 

9.  One  great  cause  of  the  popular  discontent  against  Walpole,  was 
his  taking  the  king's  part  in  a  quarrel  between  his  majesty  and  his  son 
Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales.  We  do  not  know  the  original  cause  of 
this  quarrel,  but  it  was  conducted  with  such  animosity  on  the  king's 
part,  as  to  excite  the  sympathy  of  the  people,  with  whom  the  prince 
was  very  popular,  on  account  of  his  estimable  qualities.  He  did  not 
live  to  be  king,  but  died  in  1751,  leaving  many  children. 


FAMILY  OF  GEORGE  II. 

WIFE. 
Caroline  of  Anspach. 

CHILDREN. 
Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  died  in  1751. 
William,  Duke  of  Cumberland,  died  in  1765. 
Anne,  married  the  Prince  of  Orange. 
Amelia,  died  in  1786. 
Caroline,  died  in  1757. 
,  Mary,  married  the  Prince  of  Hesse-Cassel. 

Louisa,  married  the  King  of  Denmark. 

did  George  II.  die  ?  What  was  his  age  ?  How  long  had  he  reigned  ?  W^ho  were  the 
chief  political  leaders  in  his  nngn  ?  7.  What  of  Sir  Robert  Walpole?  9.  What  of  Fred- 
erick, Prince  of  Wales? 


GEORGE   III. — 1760. 

lAMILT  OF  FREDERICK,  PRINCE  OF  WALES 

WIFE. 

Princess  of  Saxe-Gotha. 

CHILDREN. 

George,  who  succeeded  his  grandfather. 

Edward,  Duke  of  York,  died  in  1767. 

William  Henry,  Duke  of  Gloucester. 

Henry  Frederick,  Duke  of  Cumberland. 

Frederick  William,  died  young. 

Augusta,  married  the  Duke  of  Brunswick. 

Caroline,  died  in  1759. 

Louisa,  died  in  1768. 

Matilda,  married  the  King  of  Denmark. 


CHAPTER  CCIL 

George  III. — The  Quiet  of  the  Country  disturbed  by  Political  Contents, 
— John  Wilkes. — Passage  of  the  Stamp  Act  results  in  the  Indepen- 
dence of  the  United  States. 

1.  George,  son  of  Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  had  completed  his 
twenty-second  year,  when  the  death  of  his  grandfather  placed  him 
on  the  throne.  He  was  tall,  his  features  well  formed,  his  complexion 
fair,  and  his  countenance  open  and  cheerful,  with  a  great  expression 
of  goodness.  As  his  parents  had  been  on  ill  terms  with  George  II., 
the  young  prince  had  been  in  a  manner  excluded  from  court,  and 
not  interfering  in  any  of  the  political  parties  of  the  day,  he  had  led 
a  retired  life,  associating  with  a  small,  but  select  circle. 

2.  This  was,  in  some  respects,  a  disadvantage  to  him,  as  it  gave 
him  an  awkward  and  diffident  manner,  which  an  earlier  introduction 
to  general  society  might  have  remedied.  His  usual  way  of  speaking 
was  hurried  and  confused ;  but  when  called  upon  to  speak  in  public, 
it  was  quite  graceful,  for  his  father,  though  he  neglected  other  parts 
of  his  education,  had  caused  him  to  be  well  instructed  in  the  art  of 
declamation,  by  Quin,  a  celebrated  actor.  The  king's  first  speech 
being  much  applauded  for  grace  and  distinctness  of  utterance,  Quin 
exclaimed,  with  great  glee,  "  I  taught  the  boy." 

3.  The  chief  characteristic  of  his  mind  was  obstinacy ;  and  the 
pertinacity  with  which  he  maintained  his  opinions  was  tlie  occasion 
of  much  injury  to  his  country.  He  had  no  great  or  brilliant  quali- 
ties; but  he  had  many  good  ones.  He  was  kind  and  charitable; 
his  greatest  happiness  was  in  the  tranquillity  of  domestic  life:  and 
he  was  anxious  to  fulfil  his  duties  to  his  family  with  fidelity. 

4.  He  was  a  truly  religious  man,  and  there  are  many  anecdotes  re- 
lated of  him  illustrative  of  this.   In  some  cases  his  conduct  might  be 

ecu.— 1.  What  of  George  III.'s  person  ?  What  of  his  education  ?  Wliat  of  his  styl* 
of  speaking?    .3.  What  of  his  character?    4.  What  anecdote  of  his  religious  feolingt 

33* 


390  THE   PEACE   OF   PARIS. — 1763. 

imputed  tc  affectation,  were  it  not  that  we  know  his  humility  to  have 
been  genuine.  Soon  after  he  came  to  the  throne,  a  clergyman  intro- 
duced some  high  panegyrics  upon  him,  in  a  sermon  preached  in  his 
presence.  The  next  day,  the  king  sent  a  message  to  the  preacher, 
desiring  him  to  forbear  doing  so  for  the  future ;  adding  that  he  went 
to  cliurch  to  hear  Grod  praised,  and  not  himself. 

5.  In  the  prayer-book,  which  he  was  accustomed  to  use  in  private, 
he  scratched  out  the  words  "  sovereign  lord,"  before  his  own  name, 
and  wrote  instead,  "  thy  servant,"  and  in  another  place  he  put  the 
word  "  sinner."  The  number  of  marked  passages  in  his  Bible 
showed  that  he  was  a  diligent  student  of  it.  He  married,  August 
7th,  1761,  Charlotte,  Princess  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  The  last 
service  which  the  veteran  admiral,  Lord  Anson,  performed,  was  that 
of  bringing  the  new  queen  to  England. 

6.  The  accession  of  George  lit.  caused  no  alteration  in  public 
affairs ;  the  war  was  continued  Avith  vigor,  though  the  nation  had 
become  weary  of  the  great  expense  of  carrying  it  on.  It  would  be 
impossible  for  us  to  give  an  account  of  all  the  events  of  this  busy 
period,  or  even  to  select  the  most  important.  It  must  suffice  for  us 
now  to  say,  that  the  British  arms  were  everywhere  successful.  Several 
valuable  West  India  islands  were  taken  from  France;  and  the  rich 
town  of  Havana  in  Cuba,  and  the  Philippine  Isles  in  the  East  In- 
dies, were  taken  from  Spain. 

7.  France  and  Spain  at  length  became  desirous  of  peace,  which 
was  concluded  at  Paris,  February  10th,  1763.  By  this  treaty,  Can- 
ada was  definitely  ceded  to  Great  Britain,  but  in  most  other  respects 
the  countries  were  restored,  as  to  territory,  to  the  condition  they 
were  in  before  the  war.  So  far,  nothing  could  be  more  prosperous 
than  the  new  reign.  The  country  was  manifestly  increasing  in 
wealth  and  power.  But  the  internal  peace  of  the  empire  was  soon 
disturbed. 

8.  This  was  occasioned  in  no  small  degree  by  the  obstinacy  of  the 
king  in  maintaining  his  own  views,  and  in  supporting  those  minis- 
ters who  agreed  with  him  in  opinion.  Though  averse  to  the  pomp 
of  royalty,  he  was  fond  of  the  power,  and  could  not  bear  any  attack 
upon  the  dignity  or  prerogatives  of  the  crown.  The  first  open  ex- 
pression of  public  discontent  was  in  behalf  of  John  Wilkes,  who 
was  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  but  of  profligate  character. 

9.  Soon  after  the  accession  of  George  III.  to  the  throne,  Mr.  Pitt 
had  retired  from  office,  receiving  as  a  reward  for  his  services  the 
title  of  Earl  of  Chatham.  The  new  ministers  were  taken  from 
the  tory  party.  The  names  of  whig  and  tory  were  still  retained, 
though  some  change  had  taken  place  in  the  principles  of  the  parties. 
The  tories  were  for  maintaining  everything  as  it  was ;  whilst  the 
whigs  were  for  making  such  alterations  in  the  constitution  of  the 
country,  as  advanced  civilization,  and  the  increase  of  wealth,  espe- 
cially among  the  mercantile  and  manufacturing  classes,  from  time 
to  time  made  necessary. 

6.  Whom  did  be  marry?  6.  What  of  the  war  with  France  and  Spain?  7.  When  and 
where  was  peace  concluded?     8.  What  disturbed  the  internal  quiet  of  the  kingdom! 


I 


PASSAGE   OF   THE  STAMP   ACT. — 1765.  39l 

10.  There  were  many  violent  political  writers  on  both  sides ;  but 
none  so  much  so  as  Mr.  Wilkes,  who  was  a  whig  and  a  member  of 
parliament.  He  puj^lished  a  periodical  paper,  called  the  North 
Briton;  and,  in  the  forty-fifth  number,  made  a  very  violent  attack 
upon  Lord  Bute  and  other  persons,  supposed  to  have  an  undue  in- 
fluence with  the  king,  and  upon  the  government  in  general.  Wilkes 
was  arrested  by  order  of  the  government,  and  committed  to  the 
Tower.  But  being  brought  before  one  of  the  courts  of  law  by  a 
writ  of  habeas  corpus,  he  was  discharged,  upon  the  ground  that  his 
arrest  was  illegal. 

11.  His  arrest  had  produced  a  great  excitement;  it  was  consid- 
ered as  a  violation  of  the  freedom  of  the  press ;  he  was  looked  upon 
as  a  martyr  to  liberty ;  and  the  cry  of  "  Wilkes  and  liberty !"  was 
long  the  watchword  of  the  popular  party.  Whilst  affairs  were 
quite  in  a  disturbed  state  at  home,  an  act  of  the  ministry  threw  the 
North  American  colonies  into  a  state  of  convulsion.  The  taxes 
levied  for  the  support  of  the  wars  bore  very  heavily  upon  the 
people  of  Great  Britain ;  and  to  ease  them  of  the  burden,  it  was 
resolved  to  levy  taxes  upon  the  colonies. 

12.  The  act  for  this  purpose,  which  levied  a  duty  upon  stamped 
paper,  and  forbade  the  importation  of  any  other  into  the  colonies, 
was  passed  by  parliament.  The  events  which  followed  the  passage 
of  the  Stamp  Act,  and  which  led  at  last  to  the  independence  of 
thirteen  of  the  North  American  colonies,  forming  a  part  of  the 
history  of  our  own  country,  are  doubtless  familiar  to  our  readers, 
and  need  not  be  detailed  here. 


CHAPTER  CCIII. 

What  the  English  People  thought  of  the  War  with  America. — Death 
of  the  Earl  of  Chatham. —  Qreai  ^ol^^s  %t^  J^ondmi. — Instance  of 
British  Generosity  at  the  Siege'of  Gibraltar. — Peace  of  Versailles. — 
John  Adams''  first  Interview  with  the  King. 

1.  The  English  people  were  very  much  divided  in  opinion  as  to 
the  justice  and  expediency  of  taxing  the  American  colonies.  A  con- 
siderable portion  were  decidedly  opposed  to  it.  At  the  head  of  the 
opponents  was  the  eloquent  Earl  of  Chatham,  who  defended  the 
ground  taken  by  the  colonists,  that  as  they  were  not  represented  in 
the  British  parliament,  they  could  not  be  justly  taxed  by  that  body. 

2.  But  when  the  war  was  actually  commenced,  Chatham  was  in 
favor  of  maintaining  it  with  vigor,  and  of  sending  at  once  to  the 


9.  What  of  the  parties  of  whig  and  tory  ?     10.  How  did  Wilkes  give  offence?    11.  What 
followed  his  arrest?    What  measures  did  the  government  adopt  to  raise  money?     What 
was  the  consequence  of  the  Stamp  Act? 
CCIII.— 1.  What  were  the  opinions  of  the  English  people  about  taxing  America ! 


392  SURRENDER   OF    CORNWALLIS. 1781. 

colonies  a  force  large  enough  to  put  down  the  so-called  rebels, 
But  the  ministiy,  who  underrated  the  strength  of  the  colonists, 
thought  that  a  small  body  of  regular,  well-disciplined  troops,  under 
experienced  and  veteran  officers,  would  be  quite  sufficient  to  cope 
with  a  raw  militia,  commanded  by  men  who  knew  nothing  of  war 
from  actual  experience. 

3.  The  surrender  of  the  British  general  Burgoyne,  and  his  army, 
in  1777,  produced  a  great  excitement  in  England.  Some  persons 
then  were  for  abandoning  the  attempt  to  reduce  the  colonies  to 
obedience,  and  this  opinion  gained  strength  when  it  was  found  that 
a  continuance  of  the  contest  would  involve  England  in  a  war  with 
France,  whose  government  had  now  openly  assumed  the  part  of  the 
colonists.  But  the  king  would  not  consent  to  relinquish  so  large  a 
part  of  his  dominions,  so  long  as  any  hope  remained  of  being  able 
to  retain  it. 

4.  In  this  he  was  sustained  by  the  Earl  of  Chatham,  who,  on  the 
2d  of  April,  1778,  appeared  in  the  house  of  lords  to  oppose  a  motion 
for  the  withdrawal  of  the  troops  from  America.  Though  he  was 
suifering  from  severe  illness,  and  unable  to  walk  without  assistance, 
he  made  one  of  the  most  animated  and  eloquent  speeches  that  had 
ever  been  heard  in  that  house.  Venerable  for  his  years  and  expe- 
rience, and  regarded  as  the  first  statesman  of  the  age,  his  urgent 
appeal  to  his  countrymen  to  make  one  more  effort,  made  a  deep 
impression  upon  all  present. 

5.  He  was  answered  by  the  Duke  of  Richmond,  and  Chatham 
rose  again,  with  a  countenance  animated  with  disdain,  and  eager 
to  reply;  but  the  excitement 'was  too  great  for  his  feeble  frame,  and 
while  he  was  attempting  to  speak,  he  sank  down  on  the  floor,  and 
was  carried  out  of  the  house  apparently  lifeless.  He  revived,  but  it 
was  only  to  linger  out  a  few  weeks  longer.  His  death,  under  these 
circumstances,  made  a  great  impression  throughout  the  whole 
country.  He  was  honored  with  a  sumptuous  funeral  at  the  public 
expense,  and  every  possible  respect  was  shown  to  his  memory. 

6.  In  the  month  of  June,  1780,  London  was  thrown  into  conster- 
nation by  the  violence  of  a  mob,  which  had  taken  an  alarm  in  respect 
to  Popery.  This  mob,  which  was  excited  chiefly  by  Lord  George 
Gordon,  a  gloomy  fanatic,  had  the  control  of  the  city  for  several 
days,  during  which  they  burnt  several  Eoman  Catholic  chapels, 
and  destroyed  many  private  dwellings.  The  greatest  loss  which 
the  public  sustained,  was  by  the  destruction  of  the  manuscripts  of 
the  Earl  of  Mansfield,  the  most  distinguished  lawyer  of  his  time; 
he  had  made  himself  obnoxious  by  the  part  which  he  had  taken,  as 
a  judge,  in  sustaining  prosecutions  for  libels  against  the  government. 

7.  In  the  month  of  October,  1781,  Lord  Cornwallis,  one  of  Brit- 
ain's ablest  generals,  surrendered  himself  and  his  whole  army  to  Gen- 
eral Washington.  From  this  time,  it  was  apparent  to  every  one  that 
the  subjugation  of  the  American  colonies  could  not  be  any  longer  ex- 
pected. Spain  and  Holland  had  become  the  active  allies  of  the  United 

What  of  the  Earl  of  Chatham?  2.  How  was  the  war  conducted  by  the  ministry?  4,  6. 
Relate  the  particulars  of  Chatham's  last  appearance  in  parliament".    6.  What  of  the 


INDEPENDENCE   OF   THE    U.    S.    ACKNOWLEDGED. 1783.    398 

States.  Kussia,  Sweden,  and  Denmark  were  united  in  what  was 
called  an  armed  neutrality,  SiTid  were  indirectly  assisting  the  enemies 
of  England. 


RIOTS  IN   LONDON. 


8.  The  British  fleets,  under  Lord  Eodney,  kept  the  supremacy 
of  the  seas;  and  the  defence  of  Gibraltar  showed  that  the  British 
troops  had  lost  none  of  their  courage.  In  the  course  of  this  de- 
fence, there  was  an  exhibition  of  that  humanity  for  which  the 
English  have  always  been  distinguished.  For  two  years  the  place  had 
been  blockaded  by  combined  fleets  of  France  and  Spain,  when,  on 
the  13th  of  September,  1782,  a  grand  attack  was  made  by  land  and 
sea.  The  garrison,  under  General  Elliot,  consisted  of  seven  thou- 
sand men,  whilst  the  assailing  force  amounted  to  forty  thousand. 

9.  The  firing  on  both  sides  was  continued  furiously  through  the 
day;  but  the  garrison  perceived,  as  night  approached,  that  the 
enemy's  cannonading  abated,  and  could  see  that  the  whole  fleet 
was  in  commotion,  and  that  some  of  the  ships  had  taken  fire. 
The  darkness  ot  the  night  was  soon  dispelled  by  the  flames  arising 
from  the  burning  vessels ;  and  the  cries  and  groans  of  the  Spaniards 
on  board  of  them  were  dreadful  beyond  description. 

10.  Amidst  this  scene  of  horror,  General  Curtis  and  Sir  Charles 
Knowles,  assisted  by  a  body  of  marines,  ventured  to  the  rescue  of 
these  miserable  men,  whom  they  now  no  longer  considered  as  enemies, 
but  as  suffering  fellow-creatures ;  and  they  succeeded,  though  with 
imminent  hazard  to  themselves,  in  saving  many  of  them  from  the 
dangers  by  which  they  were  surrounded.  A  few  days  after  this 
attack,  Lord  Howe  arrived  with  a  fleet  to  the  relief  of  the  place. 

11.  In  1783,  peace  was  concluded   between  all  the  belligerent 


mobs  in  1780?    7.  Whatwas  the  "armed  neutrality"?    8,  9, 10.  What  of  the  siege  of  Gib 
raltar?     1?.  Wlien  waa  peace  made?     What  of  the  king's  interview  with  John  Adams? 


894      DISTINGUISHED    WlilTEIiS    AND    POETS    OF   THE   TIME. 

powers.  England  acknowledged  the  independence  of  the  United 
States,  and  gave  up  to  France  and  Spain  various  lands  and  posses 
sions  in  different  parts  of  the  globe.  The  United  States,  after  the 
ratification  of  the  treaty,  sent  John  Adams,  who,  next  to  Washing- 
ton, had  acted  the  most  prominent  part  in  the  revolution,  as  envoy 
to  the  British  court. 

12.  The  king  looked  forward  with  considerable  anxiety  to  his  first 
interview  with  this  distinguished  rebel,  and  declared  to  some  of  his 
attendants  that  he  viewed  it  as  one  of  the  most  critical  moments  of 
his  life.  He  received  the  envoy,  however,  most  graciously,  and 
said  to  him,  "I  was  the  last  man  in  the  kingdom,  sir,  to  consent  to 
the  independence  of  America ;  but  now  it  is  granted,  I  shall  be  the 
last  man  in  the  kingdom  to  sanction  a  violation  of  it." 


CHAPTER  CCIV. 

The  Writers  of  the  Reign  of  George  II.,  and  the  early  part  of  that  of 
George  III. — The  most  distinguished  Poets. — Dr.  Johnson. — A  new 
form  of  Novel  and  Romance  introduced. — Magazines  and  Reviews 
make  their  first  appearance. 

1.  As  we  are  now  approaching  a  new  era  in  English  literature, 
we  must  say  something  of  the  epoch  which  is  drawing  to  a  close. 
During  no  period  had  England  produced  so  many  men  of  letters  as 
during  the  fifty  years  comprised  in  the  reign  of  George  II.,  and 
part  of  that  of  his  successor ;  yet  it  exhibited  very  little  of  original- 
ity or  vigor.  The  great  reputation  of  Pope  and  his  contemporaries 
overawed  the  poets  of  the  next  half  century,  who  wrote  in  servile 
imitation  of  those  whose  works  had  already  the  sanction  of  public 
applause. 

2.  Something,  doubtless,  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  state  of  society, 
which,  during  the  same  period,  was  dainty,  formal,  and  pedantic; 
a  very  natural  transition  from  the  ease  and  licentiousness  which 
prevailed  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  The  collected  editions  of  the 
British  poets  contain  the  works  of  upwards  of  seventy  persons  who 
wrote  during  the  period  of  which  we  are  now  speaking.  But  very 
few  of  these  are  worthy  of  notice. 

3.  The  first,  in  point  of  time,  is  Edward  Young,  who  died  in 
1765.  His  best  work  is  the  Night  Thoughts,  a  serious  poem,  con- 
taining many  passages  of  sublime  expression,  and  of  striking 
imagery,  as  well  as  much  bombast  and  affectation.  The  most  popu- 
lar poet  of  this  period  was  James  Thomson,  who  died  in  1748. 
He  was  by  birth  a  Scotchman,  but  removed  to  London  at  an  early 
age,  where  he  published  a  series  of  poems,  called  The  Seasons,  de- 
scribing, in  blank  verse,  the  various  appearances  of  the  year,  in  a 
very  rich  and  eloquent,  and  often  sublime  style  of  language. 

CCIV.— 1.  What  of  literature  during  the  reign  of  George  II.  and  the  succeeding  years  ? 
8.  What  of  Young?     What   of  Thomson?     6.  What   of  Gray  and   Collins?     What  of 


DISTINGUISHED    WKITEKS    AND    POETS    OF    THE   TIME.    395 

4.  Thomson's  father  was  a  clergyman,  with  a  small  salary  and  a 
large  family,  so  that  he  could  furnish  his  son  with  but  a  stinted 
outfit.  The  poet  took  with  him,  however,  letters  of  recommenda- 
tion to  several  persons  of  consequence,  which  he  tied  up  carefully  in 
his  handkerchief;  but  as  he  passed  along  the  streets  of  London,  with 
the  gaping  curiosity  of  a  country  lad,  his  attention  was  upon  every- 
thing rather  than  his  pocket,  and  his  magazine  of  credentials  was 
stolen  from  him. 

5.  For  the  supply  of  his  necessities,  his  whole  fund  was  his  poem 
of  Winter,  and  he  was  sadly  in  want  of  a  pair  of  shoes.  After  a 
long  time  he  succeeded  in  finding  a  purchaser  for  his  treasure,  but 
at  a  very  low  price ;  and  the  purchaser  for  some  time  thought  he 
had  made  a  foolish  bargain ;  but  the  merits  of  the  poem  becoming 
known  by  accident,  the  sale  became  rapid,  and  Thomson's  reputa- 
tion was  established. 

6.  Gray,  who  died  in  1771,  and  Collins,  who  died  in  1756,  are 
distinguished  for  writing  lyrical  poems,  which  originally  meant 
poems  intended  to  be  sung  accompanied  by  the  harp.  The  most 
celebrated  piece  of  the  former  is  the  JElegy  in  a  Countrij  Church-  Yard, 
and  of  the  latter,  the  Ode  to  the  Passions.  Mark  Akenside,  who 
died  in  1770,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  published  a  poem 
called  the  Pleasures  of  the  Imagination,  a  work  full  of  fine  imagery, 
expressed  in  rich,  copious,  and  musical  language. 

7.  Oliver  Goldsmith,  who  died  in  1774,  was  born  in  Ireland,  but 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  mature  life  in  London.  Of  all  the 
poets  of  this  period,  his  works  are,  perhaps,  the  most  read  at  the 
present  day.  His  chief  poems  are  the  Deserted  Village,  and  the 
Traveller.  He  was  also  a  very  popular  prose  writer,  and  has  strong 
claims  upon  the  regard  of  all  young  persons ;  for  he  was  the  author 
of  various  histories — of  Eome,  Greece,  England,  &c. — and  of  the 
natural  history,  which  have  afforded  them  so  much  pleasure  and  in- 
struction. 

8.  Samuel  Johnson,  who  died  in  1784,  wrote  verses.  But  he  was 
more  admired  for  his  prose  writings.  His  style,  though  elegant  and 
pure,  is  more  majestic  than  suits  the  taste  of  the  present  age.  He 
published  a  periodical  paper,  called  the  Kambler,  in  which  he  some- 
times condescends  to  treat  of  common  things,  but  in  the  same  sol- 
emn language  which  he  uses  in  moralizing  on  the  awful  destinies  of 
man.  The  Lives  of  the  Poets,  which  were  written  to  be  prefixed  to 
a  collection  of  the  poets  of  Great  Britain,  is  perhaps  the  best  of  his 
productions.  His  dictionary,  though  now  considered  too  limited, 
is  si  ill  referred  to  as  of  the  highest  authority. 

9  Fictitious  tales  in  prose,  by  the  title  of  romances  and  novels, 
had  long  been  known  in  France  and  Italy,  and  had  been  imitated 
in  England.  But  they  were  quite  different  from  the  works  known 
at  the  present  day  by  the  same  names.  The  first  example  of  the 
modern  English  romance,  was  the  Cattle  of  Otranto,  published  in  1764, 
by  Horace  Walpole,  a  son  of  the  celebrated  minister,  Sir  Robert. 

Akenside?     V.  What  of  Goldsmith?     8.  What  of  Johnson?     9.  What   was   tlie  first 
•TAmple  of  modern   romance  writing?     When   published,  and  by  whom  composed? 


396    DISTINGUISHED    WRITERS    AND    POETS    OF   THE    TIME. 

This  was  full  of  horrors,  and  was  so  popular  as  to  call  forth  a  host 
of  imitators. 

10.  In  1739,  Samuel  Eichardson,  a  printer  in  London,  being 
remarkable  for  his  expertness  in  letter-writing,  was  requested  by  two 
booksellers  to  write  a  volume  of  letters,  referring  to  the  common  con- 
cerns of  life,  for  the  improvement  of  persons  of  ordinary  education. 
He  thought  the  work  might  be  more  lively  and  interesting,  if  the 
letters  were  made  to  narrate  a  story.  Thus  was  produced  the  novel 
of  Pamela,  a  work  so  vastly  superior  in  style  and  in  its  moral  tend- 
ency  to  all  which  had  preceded  it,  that  it  obtained  a  great  reputa- 
tion, and  was  even  recommended  by  the  clergy  from  the  pulpit, 

11.  Encouraged  by  this  success,  Richardson  commenced  with  a 
more  elaborate  novel,  called  Clarissa  Harlowe,  four  volumes  of  which 
were  published  in  1748,  leaving  the  story  unfinished.  This  work 
excited  the  greatest  interest,  both  in  England  and  on  the  continent, 
and  the  comfort  of  the  reading  world  seemed  to  depend  upon  the 
result  of  the  story.  A  report  got  abroad  that  it  was  to  end  tragic- 
ally ;  when  remonstrances  poured  in  upon  the  author  from  all  quar- 
ters, entreating  him  to  reward  the  virtue  of  the  heroine.  It  is  said 
that  the  work  was  intended  to  fill  twenty-eight  volumes,  but  was 
finally  reduced  to  eight. 

12.  We  cannot,  of  course,  mention  all  who  were  eminent  in  every 
branch  of  litcature ;  we  can  only  speak  of  those  who  originated  any 
particular  form  of  composition,  or  who  were  most  eminent  in  it. 
Many  gained  celebrity  as  philosophical  writers.  They  were,  how- 
ever, chiefly  natives  of  Scotland,  in  which  country  great  attention 
was  paid,  at  this  period,  to  English  literature ;  and  societies  were 
formed  to  encourage  not  only  the  writing,  but  the  speaking  of  pure 
English. 

13.  The  success  of  these  efforts  is  made  apparent  by  the  historical 
works  of  Hume  and  Robertson,  which  not  only  excited  a  taste  for 
historical  reading  in  England,  but  also  a  desire  in  literary  men  to 
rival  them.  To  the  former  we  are  indebted  for  much  of  the  interest- 
ing matter  of  our  present  story ;  Hume's  History  of  England  was 
the  first  example  of  the  highest  kind  of  historical  writing  in  English 
literature.  Though  defective  in  style,  and  not  so  complete  as  to 
facts  as  some  which  have  succeeded  it,  its  great  merits  will  probably 
enable  it  to  retain  the  first  place  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

14.  Hume's  history  only  comes  down  to  the  revolution  in  1688 ; 
and  so  much  of  Smollett's  History  of  England  as  embraces  the 
period  between  that  event  and  the  death  of  George  II.,  is  usually 
published  with  it ;  being  better  than  any  other,  though  vastly  infe- 
rior to  Hume.  Edward  Gibbon,  who  died  in  1794,  was  the  author 
of  a  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire  ;  a  work 
which  takes  rank  with  those  of  Hume  and  Robertson. 

15.  We  must  mention  one  more  class  of  works  which  made  its 
appearance  for  the  first  time  during  this  period.  In  1731,  Edward 
Cave,  a  printer,  commenced  a  publication  called  the  GentlemanU 

10.  When,  and  by  whom,  was  the  first  novc^l  of  tlio  modern  kind  composed?     13,  14. 
Who  were  the  most  distinguished  historians  of  this  period  ?    16.  When  did  the  first  maga. 


ATTEMPT   TO    MURDER   THE    KING. 1' 


397 


Magazine,  being,  as  the  name  magazine  was  intended  to  express,  a 
depository  of  the  principal  discussions  and  intelligence  contained 
in  the  newspapers  during  the  preceding  month.  This  work,  which 
met  with  great  success,  soon  became  open  to  original  articles  of  a 
literary  character. 

16.  The  success  of  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  led  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  many  others,  but  none,  for  a  long  period,  possessed  so 
much  merit  as  this,  which  has  been  continued  without  interruption 
to  the  present  day.  The  first  periodical  work  devoted  to  the  criti- 
cism of  books,  was  commenced  in  1749,  and  was  called  the  Monthly 
Review.  This  review  took  the  whig  side  in  politics,  and  to  counter- 
act its  influence,  the  tories,  in  1756,  established  the  OrUical  Review, 
under  the  direction  of  Smollett,  of  whom  we  have  already  spoken  as 
an  historian ;  and  who  likewise  gained  much  distinction  as  a  mis- 
cellaneous writer,  and  more  as  a  writer  of  novels. 


CHAPTEE  GOV. 

Attempts  to  murder  the  King. —  The  Xing  loses  his  Reason,  but  it  is  re- 
stored to  him. —  The  younger  Pitt. — Duties  of  the  King's  Ministers. 


MARGARKT  NICHOLSON'S  ATTACK  UPON  THE  KING. 

1.  Though  George  III.  never  evinced  any  disposition  to  engf.ge 
personally  in  war,  it  was  not  because  he  was  deficient  in  courage, 


lines  make  their  appearance ?     Whence  the  name  magazine?     16.  What  of  Reviews ? 
34 


898  INSANITY    OF   GEORGE   III. — 1788. 

for  he  exhibited  this  quality  on  many  occasions  much  more  trying 
than  amid  the  excitements  of  the  field  of  battle.  In  1787,  an  at- 
temjjt  was  made  on  his  life  by  a  poor  insane  woman,  named  Margaret 
Nicholson,  who,  while  she  was  with  one  hand  presenting  a  petition, 
attempted  with  the  other  to  stab  him  with  a  knife. 

2.  She  was  instantly  seized  by  the  attendants;  and  the  king,  for- 
getful of  the  danger  his  own  life  had  been  in,  only  exclaimed,  "  Don't 
hurt  the  poor  woman  ;  she  must  be  mad."  This,  on  inquiry,  proved 
to  be  the  case,  and  she  was  sent  to  a  hospital.  On  another  occasion 
he  was  shot  at,  and  the  ball  passed  through  his  carriage.  His  attend- 
ants were  thrown  Into  the  utmost  agitation,  but  the  king  continued 
tranquil,  and  said  to  them,  "  One  is  supposing  this,  and  another  is 
proposing  that,  forgetting  that  there  is  One  above  all,  on  whom  alone 
we  depend,  and  who  disposes  of  all  things." 

3.  Notwithstanding  these,  and  many  other  attempts  upon  his  life, 
he  never  would  take  any  precautions  against  danger,  always  saying 
that  none  he  might  take  would  secure  him  from  the  attempts  of  a 
determined  assassin,  and  that  he  would  not  give  up  his  custom  of 
mixing  freely,  and  without  attendants,  with  all  ranks  of  people.  In 
1788,  the  king  suifered  a  real  calamity  in  the  loss  of  his  reason.  It 
became  necessary,  therefore,  to  appoint  some  person  to  act  in  his 
name  during  the  continuance  of  the  illness. 

4.  The  Prince  of  Wales,  who  was  now  twenty-six  years  old,  was 
manifestly  the  most  proper  person  who  could  be  invested  with  this  im- 

Eortant  office.  He  had  no  fixed  principles  of  any  kind  himself,  but 
is  friends  and  associates  were  the  political  opponents  of  the  party 
now  in  power.  When,  therefore,  his  friends  moved  in  parliament 
for  his  appointment  on  the  ground  of  constitutional  right,  the  min- 
istry opposed  it  on  that  ground,  but  allowed  that  it  was  proper  and 
expedient,  and  offered  to  bestow  it,  but  with  many  restrictions  and 
limitations  of  power. 

5.  Before  the  question  could  be  settled  between  the  two  parties, 
the  king  recovered  his  reason,  and  of  course  the  necessity  for  a  regent 
— as  the  person  who  governs  the  kingdom  during  any  temporary 
incapacity  of  the  king  is  called — was  at  an  end.  The  24th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1788,  was  the  last  day  on  which,  previous  to  his  illness,  the  king 
had  appeared  in  public  ;  and  on  the  23d  of  April  following,  being 
then  recovered,  he  went  to  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  to  return  public 
thanks  to  God  for  his  restoration  to  health  and  reason. 

6.  He  was  attended  by  the  royal  family,  and  by  an  immense  con- 
course of  the  nobility  and  of  the  people ;  so  that  when  the  jirocession 
entered  the  church,  it  was  crowded  to  excess.  The  scene  is  described 
as  peculiarly  impressive  and  interesting,  and  particularly  so  when 
the  6000  children  from  the  charity  schools,  who  were  in  the  church, 
joined  in  the  choruses  of  the  psalms  and  anthems. 

7.  The  king's  physicians  did  not  deem  it  safe  for  him  to  engage  at 
once  in  public  business.  He  therefore  indulged  himself,  more  than 
he  had  before  done,  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  domestic  life.  He  loved 

CCV. — 1.  What  instances  of  the  king's  courage  ?  3.  What  calamity  did  the  king 
meet  with  in  1788  ?    4,  5,  What  is  said  of  the  appointment  of  a  regent?    7.  What  of 


WILLIAM   PITT,    THE   YOUNGER. 1783-1805.  399 

to  have  his  family  about  him,  and  it  is  said  to  have  been  a  very 
pleasing  sight  to  see  the  whole  royal  family,  when  they  were  in  the 
bloom  of  youth,  assembled,  as  they  frequently  were,  round  their 
parents.  They  made  quite  a  party  by  themselves ;  for  the  king  had 
thirteen  children  who  lived  to  grow  up. 

8.  These  children  were  all  comely,  and  had  open,  cheerful  coun- 
tenances. They  enjoyed  a  privilege  which  seldom  falls  to  the  lot 
of  princes,  of  being  brought  up  under  the  eye  of  parents  who  set 
them  the  example  of  the  most  perfect  family  harmony.  The  queen 
was  a  woman  of  strong  sense,  and  of  superior  acquirements.  She 
was  never  popular,  for  her  manners  were  cold  and  reserved.  But 
as  a  wife  and  mother,  her  conduct  was  exemplary.  She  showed 
herself  constantly  averse  to  every  kind  of  vice  and  immorality,  and 
the  character  of  her  court  was  irreproachable. 

9.  The  king  was  very  grateful  to  his  prime  minister  for  opposing 
the  appointment  of  his  son  to  be  regent,  with  all  the  powers  of  a 
sovereign ;  for,  as  we  have  already  stated,  he  was  very  jealous  of 
encroachments  upon  his  royal  prerogative,  and  he  was,  besides,  dis- 
pleased not  only  with  the  political,  but  with  the  moral,  conduct  of 
his  son.  Such  being  the  feeling  of  the  king,  the  minister  had,  in- 
deed, merited  his  thanks,  for  it  required  no  little  firmness  to  oppose 
the  wishes  of  one  who  might,  in  the  course  of  nature,  at  any 
moment  become  his  sovereign. 

10.  But  William  Pitt,  who  now  held  the  oflSce  of  first  lord  of  the 
treasury,  that  is,  of  prime  minister,  was  not  a  man  to  be  deterred 
from  the  discharge  of  any  duty  by  motives  of  personal  interest.  He 
was  the  second  son  of  the  Earl  of  Chatham,  and  is  sometimes  called 
the  younger  Pitt,  to  distinguish  him  from  his  illustrious  father. 
He  was  appointed  to  the  high  ofiice  which  he  now  held,  in  1783, 
aad  retained  it,  with  only  one  short  interval,  for  twenty-two  years. 

11.  At  the  time  of  his  appointment  he  was  only  twenty-four 
years  old,  but  he  had  already  exhibited  his  great  ability  and  politi- 
cal sagacity  as  chancellor  of  the  exchequer.  By  the  constitution 
of  Great  Britain,  all  laws  for  raising  money  must  have  their  origin 
in  the  house  of  commons ;  the  reason  for  which,  is,  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  taxes  are  paid  by  those  whom  this  house  represents. 

12.  It  is  one  of  the  duties  of  the  chancellor  of  the  exchequer  to 
propose  the  measures  by  which  money  is  to  be  raised ;  he  is,  there- 
fore, always  a  member  of  the  house  of  commons ;  not  by  right,  but, 
as  all  other  members  are,  in  theory,  by  the  election  of  the  people. 
But  suppose  he  should  not  be  elected,  we  may  ask  what  he  would 
do  then.  This  never  happens,  for  if  he  loses  his  election  in  one 
place,  he  can  procure  it  in  another,  either  by  bribing  the  voters,  oi 
by  the  influence  of  some  political  friend. 

13.  There  are  many  boroughs,  as  they  are  called,  which  have  a 
right  to  send  more  than  one  member  to  parliament,  and  which  are 
entirely  under  the  control  of  some  rich  man.  This  abuse  existed 
to  a  much  greater  extent  formerly  than  now,  for  it  was,  in  part, 
corrected  by  the  Reform  Bill,  passed  in  1832. 

his  domestic  habits  ?    8    What  of  his  children  ?    10  11.  What  of  William  Pitt  ?    12.  What 


400  TIIK    FKENCH    JIEVOLUTION. 1789. 

14.  The  deciding  as  to  the  mode  in  -which  money  shall  be  raised, 
is  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  a  ministry  has  to  perform.  It 
must  ultimately  be  raised  by  taxes,  and  the  personal  interests  of 
some  class  or  classes  of  persons  must  be  affected  by  every  tax  that 
is  imposed. 

15.  Hence  there  will  always  be  many  objections  made  to  every 
measure  proposed.  The  chancellor  of  the  exchequer  has  to  answer 
all  these  objections;  therefore,  the  most  able  commoner  on  the  side 
of  the  party  in  power,  is  selected  to  fill  this  office.  He  naturally 
becomes  the  spokesman  of  the  ministry  on  all  important  occasions, 
and  as  the  ministry  usually  has  a  majority  of  the  members  on  its 
side,  he  is  sometimes  called  "the  leader  of  the  house  of  commons." 

16.  The  prime  minister  sometimes  chooses  to  hold  this  office  him- 
self, in  addition  to  that  of  the  first  lord  of  the  treasury,  who  is  not 
necessarily  a  peer.  This  was  the  case  with  William  Pitt,  who 
chose  to  defend  the  measures  which,  though  nominally  the  acts  of 
many  ministers,  were  virtually  his  own,  for  he  was  the  soul  of  the 
government.  He  did  not  possess  the  brilliant  eloquence  of  his 
father,  or  of  his  great  rivals  for  power  and  fame.  Fox  and  Burke; 
but  he  had  the  faculty  of  convincing,  by  the  force  of  his  arguments, 
which  were  always  presented  in  the  clearest  manner,  and  in  the 
most  natural  order. 

17.  He  governed  the  country  during  one  of  the  most  stormy 
periods  in  the  history  of  the  world;  and  brought  her  through  it 
not  only  in  safety,  bftt  with  glory.  George  III.  never  displayed  so 
much  sagacity  during  his  long  reign,  as  in  retaining  him  in  power, 
in  spite  of  the  clamors  of  the  opposite  party,  which  were  sometimes 
loud  enough  to  have  shaken  the  purpose  of  a  less  obstinate  sovereign. 


CHAPTER  CCVI. 

The  French  Revolution  breaks' out. — Measures  adopted  by  the  other 
States  of  Europe  in  consequence  of  it. —  What  Effect  the  News  pro- 
duced in  England. —  M^v  between  France  ajid  England. 

/l,;\i.i  /^  :<  ,  ,;       '    .     ..      ^..      '' 

1.  The  repose  which  Europe'  now  enjoyed  was  destined  '-:  be 
broken  by  an  event  which,  while  it  gave  joy  to  the  lovers  cf  lib- 
erty, struck  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  despotic  rulers  of  Europe 
In  1789,  the  French  people,  who  had  for  centuries  been  subjected 
to  the  most  grievous  oppressions  on  the  part  of  the  nobles,  asserted 
their  natural  rights.  Their  representatives  assembled  in  conven- 
tion, abolished  all  royalty,  with  its  attendant  distinction  of  ranks, 
and  established  a  republic. 

2.  This  proceeding  was  very  alarming  to  the  absolute  kings  of  the 

of  the  office  of  chancellor  of  the  exchequer?     Why  does  it  require  a  man  of  abilities? 
15, 16, 17.  What  of  Pitt's  abilities? 
CCVI.— 1.  What  disturbed  the  ropose  of  Europe  in  1789?     2.  Vfh&i  course  was  adopted 


DESTRUCTION    OF   THE    BASTILE. 1789.  401 

neighboring  states.  Their  own  subjects  might  be  infected  with  a 
love  of  liberty;  so  the  sovereigns  of  Austria  and  Prussia  deter- 
mined to  put  down  this  impudent  attempt  of  an  independent 
people  to  establish  a  government  to  their  own  liking,  and  for  this 
purpose  to  march  their  armies  into  France. 

3.  This  was  a  very  unwise  measure ;  they  should  have  remem- 
bered that  their  armies  were  not  invincible;  and  that  if  they  were 
beaten,  the  French  conquerors  might  not  content  themselves  with 
driving  them  out  of  their  country,  but  might,  in  retaliation,  become 
themselves  invaders.  In  such  case,  the  liberal  principles  they  so 
much  dreaded  would  come  with  infinitely  greater  force.  Had  they 
been  wise,  they  would  have  left  the  French  to  settle  their  own 
affairs. 

4.  The  people  of  France,  indignant  at  this  attempt  of  strangers 
to  dictate  to  them  a  form  of  government,  rushed  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm  to  repel  the  invaders,  and  did  not  stop  in  their  victori- 
ous career  till  they  had  taken  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Austrian 
Netherlands.  Such  was  the  commencement  of  a  war,  which,  with 
little  intermission,  ravaged  Europe  for  above  twenty  years. 

5.  We  must  now  consider  how  the  people  of  England  were  affected 
by  the  events  which  were  taking  place  on  the  continent.  The  de- 
struction of  the  Bastile  by  the  inhabitants  of  Paris  first  drew  their 
attention  to  the  efforts  of  the  French  people  to  redress  their  wrongs. 
This  prison  was  a  stone  structure,  which,  in  ancient  times,  had  been 
a  fortress  to  protect  Paris  from  foreign  aggressors,  but  for  many  cen- 
turies it  had  been  used  only  as  an  instrument  of  domestic  tyranny. 

6.  A  mere  order  from  the  king  was  sufficient  to  consign  any  per- 
son to  this  gloomy  prison.  This  power  was  most  shamefully  abused, 
for  not  only  were  the  orders  against  those  who  had  committed  the 
slightest  offence  in  word,  deed,  or  even  in  supposed  thought,  against 
the  king  or  his  favorites,  but  they  were  even  made  a  source  of  reve- 
nue to  these  favorites,  for  they  were  sold  to  individuals  to  be  used 
to  gratify  private  malice  and  revenge.  Thousands  of  victims  had 
languished  out  their  lives  in  this  horrible  abode. 

7.  Its  destruction,  therefore,  excited  a  feeling  of  joy  amongst  the 
English  people,  who  heartily  sympathized  in  the  attempt  of  their 
neighbors  to  establish  a  more  liberal  form  of  government.  But  the 
sympathies  of  the  king  were  for  the  royal  family  of  France ;  and, 
as  Elector  of  Hanover,  he  entered  into  the  views  of  the  other  sove- 
reigns of  Europe.  His  prime  minister,  also,  was  a  believer  in  the 
necessity  of  strong  governments,  as  they  are  called,  that  is,  govern- 
ments in  which  the  chief  power  is  permanently  placed  in  the  hands 
of  one  person. 

8.  The  French  people  were  like  wild  beasts  who  had  long  been 
subjected  to  cruel  keepers,  upon  whom  was  now  vented  their  long 
pent-up  rage.  The  sanguinary  excesses  committed  by  the  mob, 
who  at  first  ruled  in  France,  excited  the  horror  and  fears  of  many 

by  the  other  governmerits  of  Europe?  4.  What  was  the  consequence?  5.  What  evo.»'t 
drew  the  attention  of  thf  people  of  England  to  B'rench  afiairs?  6.  Wliatof  the  French 
king's  despotic  powor?  7.  What  feeling  was  first  excited  in  England?  What  w(;re  the 
opinions  of  the  king  and  of  his  prime  minister?     8.  What  measure  did  the  English  gov 

34* 


402  GLOOMY   STATE    OF   AFFAIRS   IN    1797. 

good  people  in  England ;  so  that  the  king  and  his  mini<^ters  were 
not  without  a  party  to  support  them  in  their  refusal  to  recognize 
the  new  republic,  or  to  receive  its  ambassador, — a  measure  which 
unavoidably  led  to  war. 

9.  This  was  declared  by  the  French  convention  on  the  1st  of 
February,  1793.  About  the  same  time  the  French  invaded  Hol- 
land, and  the  Duke  of  York,  the  king's  second  son,  was  sent,  with 
a  considerable  army  under  his  command,  to  assist  the  Dutch.  But 
he  effected  nothing,  except  to  make  a  good  retreat  and  a  safe  return 
to  England  in  the  following  winter.  Holland  soon  submitted,  and 
a  new  state,  called  the  Batavian  Eepublic,  was  established,  in 
alliance  with  France,  whose  victorious  arms  soon  compelled  the 
King  of  Prussia  to  sue  for  peace. 

10.  England  and  Austria  maintained  the  war  for  several  years 
longer,  but  with  such  ill  success  on  the  part  of  the  latter,  that,  in 
1797,  she  was  compelled  to  accept  such  terms  of  peace  as  France 
would  allow  her.  This  success  on  the  part  of  the  French  is  to  be 
ascribed  chiefly  to  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  a  young  Corsican,  whose 
wonderful  abilities  had  raised  him  from  the  rank  of  lieutenant  of 
artillery  to  the  command  of  the  French  army  in  Italy.  The  treaty 
between  France  and  Austria  was  signed  at  Campo  Formio,  October 
17th,  1797.    Thus  England  was  left  alone  in  the  contest. 


CHAPTER  CCVII. 

Gloomy  State  of  Affairs  in  1797. —  The  Bank  of  England  suspends 
Payment. — Mutinies  a/mong  the  Seamen. 

1.  Thj5  year  1797  was  a  gloomy  period  in  England.  The  national 
finances,  burdened  with  debts  contracted  to  carry  on  former  wars, 
seemed  unequal  to  meet  the  expenses  of  a  lengthened  contest.  The 
Bank  of  England,  by  orders  of  the  government,  stopped  the  pay- 
ment of  its  notes  in  gold  or  silver,  and  paper  became  the  only 
money  in  circulation.  To  add  to  the  public  distress,  an  alarming 
mutiny  broke  out  among  the  sailors  in  the  ships  of  war,  who  de- 
manded an  increase  of  pay  and  amelioration  of  their  condition, 
which  was  in  truth  worse  than  that  of  slaves. 

2.  If  they  had  entered  into  that  service  of  their  own  accord,  they 
would  have  had  less  reason  in  their  complaints.  But  it  was  not  so. 
Instead  of  inducing  men  to  serve  as  sailors  on  board  the  ships  of  war 
by  offering  sufficient  wages  and  kind  treatment,  the  British  govern- 
ment resorted  to  force  to  man  her  navy.  A  party  of  soldiers,  with  an 
officer,  went  about,  seizing  upon  all  persons  who  looked  like  sailors,  or 
who  the  officer  thought  would  make  good  seamen,  and  carried  them  by 

ernment  adopt  in  reference  to  France?    9.  What  was  the  consequence?     What  of  the 
success  of  the  French  as  to  Holland  and  Russia  ?     10.  What  of  the  war  between  Austria 
and  France  ?    By  what  treaty  was  it  concluded  ?    When  ? 
CCVII.— 1.  What  is  said  of  the  year  1797?     What  events  caused  a  depression  of  feel-» 


I 


MUTINIES   AMONG    BRITISH    SEAMEN.  403 

force  on  board  of  a  ship,  where  they  were  generally  compelled  to 
serve  till  death  relieved  them  from  oppression. 

3.  The  toils  and  sufferings  of  the  sailor's  life  beai  hs.rdly  enough 
upon  those  who  adopt  it  from  choice,  and  are  habituated  to  its  dan- 
gers from  infancy.  In  addition  to  the  ordinary  perils  of  the  sea, 
these  impressed  seamen  were  exposed  to  all  the  evils  of  war.  We 
can  conceive  better  than  we  can  describe  the  feelings  of  men  torn 
from  their  families  without  a  moment's  warning,  and  subjected  to 
treatment  which  made  the  public  ships  so  odious  that  sailors  by 
profession  carefully  concealed  themselves,  when  on  shore,  to  avoid 
being  pressed  into  them. 

4.  In  the  month  of  April,  the  whole  body  of  sailors  in  the  grand 
fleet  which  guarded  the  British  Channel,  declared  their  determination 
no  longer  to  submit  to  the  officers,  unless  an  increase  of  pay  and  a 
change  in  the  regulations  concerning  provisions  should  be  granted 
to  them.  A  council,  composed  of  two  delegates  from  each  ship, 
took  command  of  the  squadron.  The  consternation  caused  by  this 
event  was  very  great ;  for  the  security  of  England  from  invasion  de- 
pended mainly  upon  the  fleet. 

5.  It  was  deemed  by  government  to  be  most  expedient  to  accede 
to  the  required  terms,  and  a  bill  was  hastily  passed  through  parlia- 
ment securing  to  the  seamen  what  the  ministers  had  promised.  The 
delegates  of  the  fleet  declared  themselves  satisfied,  and  harmony  and 
good  order  were  restored.  But  the  spirit  of  insurrection  was 
contagious,  and  no  sooner  was  it  quelled  in  the  Channel  fleet,  than 
it  broke  out  in  the  ships  lying  at  Sheerness  and  at  Yarmouth. 

6.  New  grievances  were  required  to  be  redressed,  and  the  facility 
with  which  the  demands  of  the  Channel  fleet  had  been  granted, 
encouraged  the  present  insurgents  to  make  demands  not  quite  so 
reasonable.  The  government  now  determined  to  yield  no  more,  and 
made  every  disposition  to  force  the  ships  to  submission.  Guards 
were  placed  to  prevent  any  communication  between  them  and  the 
shore,  and  no  water  or  provisions  was  suffered  to  go  to  them.  For 
a  time,  the  mutineers  were  able  to  get  a  supply  of  these  from  mer- 
chant vessels  which  they  seized. 

7.  At  length,  being  reduced  to  great  want  of  water,  and  distrust 
prevailing  among  themselves,  ship  after  ship  deserted,  until  at  last 
all  came  in  and  surrendered.  The  leaders  were  tried  and  executed. 
The  ships  were  soon  after  ordered  to  sea,  to  watch  the  motions  of  a 
Dutch  fleet,  and  any  unfavorable  impressions  which  might  remain 
were  effectually  removed  by  the  complete  victory  which  they  gained 
on  the  11th  of  October;  as  a  reward  for  which.  Admiral  Duncan, 
the  commander  of  the  fleet,  was  raised  to  the  peerage. 

ing  in  England?  2.  How  were  British  ships  of  war  supplied  with  men?  4.  What  wa* 
Ihe  consequence  of  the  bad  treatment  of  the  seamen?  5.  What  is  said  of  the  seconil  mu 
tiny  ?    7.  What  ■  ictory  did  Admiral  Duncan  gain  ? 


404  BONAPARTE   RETURNS   FROM    EGYPT. — 1799. 


dt^, 


CHAPTER    CCVIII. 


Bona'Dari£i.  after  conquering  Egypt,  returns  to  France,  of  iDhich  he  he* 
comes  the  Buler. — He  leads  his  Army  over  the  Alps,  and  defeats  the 
Austrians  in  Italy. — Expedition  against   Copenhagen  under  Lord 

Nelson. 

1 .  At  this  period  Bonaparte  was  in  Egypt,  apparently  in  a  very 
hazardous  situation,  for  the  fleet  which  had  carried  him  thither  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  English  fleet,  under  Admiral  Nelson,  who  now 
had  the  undisputed  control  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  thus  cutting 
off"  the  French  from  receiving  any  supplies  or  reinforcements.  But 
the  genius  of  the  French  general  inspired  the  troops  with  confidence 
and  spirit.  Egypt  being  conquered,  their  arms  were  turned  against 
Syria,  which,  like  Egypt,  was  subject  to  Turkey. 

2.  Proceeding  onward  in  their  victorious  course,  they  laid  siege  to 
Acre,  a  very  strong  fortress  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  Bo- 
naparte now  felt  the  want  of  a  fleet,  with  which  to  prevent  the  town 
from  receiving  succor  by  sea.  The  Turks  defended  the  place 
bravely;  it  must,  however,  have  been  surrendered,  but  for  the 
arrival  of  some  English  ships  under  Sir  Sy<lney  Smith.  Landing 
with  his  sailors,  he  assisted  in  repulsing  an  assault,  which  the 
Turks,  without  his  assistance,  could  not  have  withstood. 

3.  Returning  to  Egypt,  Bonaparte  received  information  which  in- 
duced him  to  leave  the  army  and  go  back  to  France.  Embarking 
on  board  one  of  his  remaining  frigates,  he  made  the  voyage  in  safety, 
and,  on  the  9th  of  October,  1799,  landed  at  Frejus,  a  small  port  in 
France,  after  having  been  for  forty-one  days  exposed  to  capture  by 
the  enemy's  ships,  which  traversed  the  sea  in  all  directions.  This 
passage  is  not  one  of  the  least  extraordinary  events  of  his  wonderful 
life. 

4.  The  French  people  were  very  much  dissatisfied  with  their 
present  rulers ;  and  Bonaparte  was  hailed  as  the  deliverer  of  France. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  at  Paris,  he  Avas  able  to  effect  a  change  in  the 
government,  which  was  now  intrusted  to  three  officers,  called  con- 
suls, of  whom  he  was  the  chief,  and  in  whom  all  power  was,  in  fact, 
vested.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  First  Consul,  as  he  was  styled, 
was  to  offer  peace  to  England  and  Austria.  But  neither  power 
thought  fit  to  accept  the  proposal,  and  the  British  government  did 
not  even  deign  to  reply. 

5.  The  most  active  preparations  were  made  on  all  sides  for  carry- 
ing on  the  war  with  vigor.  The  first  consul  in  person  took  the  com- 
mand of  the  army  destined  to  act  against  the  Austrians  in  Italy. 
The  Austrian  general  made  the  best  arrangements  for  defending  the 
passage  round  the  Alps  into  Italy,  thinking  it  impossible  for  an 
army  to  enter  it  by  any  other  route. 

CCVIII. — 1.  What  of  the  French  operations  in  Egypt?  What  of  those  in  Syria? 
liu  What  of  Bonaparte's  return  to  France  ?     What  took  place  in  France  after  his  return  I 


BATTLE   OF    HOHENLINDEN. — 1800.  405 

6.  But  nothing  seemed  to  be  impossible  to  Bonaparte.  Crossing 
directly  over  the  Alps ;  transporting  his  army,  with  all  its  baggage, 
stores,  and  artillery,  by  ways  hitherto  deemed  almost  impassable  for 
unincumbered  travellers,  he  took  the  Austrian  general  completely 
by  surprise.  The  battle  of  Marengo  decided  the  fate  of  Italy .^  The 
French  arms  being  equally  successful  in  other  quarters,  Austria  was 
once  more  compelled  to  sue  for  peace,  and  negotiations  were  com- 
menced. 

7.  The  Emperor  of  Germany  demanded  that  England  should  be 
included  in  the  treaty,  to  which  Bonaparte  agreed.  The  requisitions 
of  the  English  government  were,  however,  such  as  Bonaparte  would 
not  accede  to ;  so  the  negotiations  were  broken  off,  and  the  emperor 
renewed  hostilities.  His  principal  army  took  the  field  on  the  24th 
of  November,  1800,  and,  on  the  3d  of  December,  was  totally  defeated 
at  Hohenlinden  by  the  French  under  Moreau. 

8.  Nothing  remained  for  Austria  but  to  accept  such  terms  of 
peace  as  the  first  consul  would  grant.  These  were  very  liberal,  and 
the  treaty  was  signed  at  Luneville,  in  February,  1801,  and  England 
was  again  left  to  sustain  the  war  alone.  New  enemies,  too,  now 
appeared.  Paul,  Emperor  of  Kussia,  enraptured  with  the  jibilities 
and  military  glory  of  Bonaparte,  declared  himself  the  warm  friend 
of  France,  and  to  show  his  regard,  he  seized  upon  all  the  British 
vessels  in  his  ports. 

9.  Denmark  and  Sweden  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  joining  with 
Russia  in  a  confederacy  against  the  maritime  power  of  England. 
But  this  project  was  defeated  by  the  promptitude  of  the  British 
government.  A  force  was  sent,  under  Lord  Nelson,  to  destroy  the 
Danish  ships  at  Copenhagen.  The  expedition  was  completely  suc- 
cessful, and  Denmark  agreed  to  remain  at  peace  with  England. 

10.  Nelson  then  proceeded  towards  Russia.  But  his  operations 
in  that  quarter  were  interrupted  by  the  death  of  Paul.  His  son  and 
successor,  Alexander,  immediately  disclaimed  all  hostile  intentions 
towards  England.  About  the  same  time,  the  French  forces  were 
driven  out  of  Egypt  by  the  British,  under  Sir  Ralph  Abercrombie ; 
a  success  which  was  dearly  purchased  by  the  loss  of  that  commander. 

5,  6.  What  of  the  war  in  Italy?  7.  When,  and  between  whom,  was  the  battle  of  Hohen- 
linden? 8.  When  and  where  was  peace  concluded  between  France  and  Austria?  9, 
What  new  enemies  against  England  appeared?  What  measure  did  England  adopt  in 
consequence?    10.  What  of  the  French  army  in  Egypt? 


406  BATTLE   OF   TRAFALGAR. — 1806. 


CHAPTER  CCIX. 

Peace  of  Amiens. — Hostilities  renewed  between  France  and  England. — 
J^aiih  of  I'Tafalcjar. — Death  of  Lord  Nelson. — Condition  of  Europt 

"^  1.  Previous  to  the  transactions  which  we  have  just  mentioned,  a 

change  had  taken  place  in  the  English  ministry.  On  the  11th  of 
January,  1801,  Mr.  Pitt  resigned  the  offices  he  had  held  for  eighteen 
years.  The  new  ministers  at  once  commenced  negotiations  for  peace 
with  France,  which  was  concluded  at  Amiens,  March  27th,  1802. 
All  England  rung  with  joyful  acclamations  at  the  attainment  of  this 
long  wished-for  object. 

2.  But  the  joy  was  of  short  continuance.  By  the  terms  of  the 
treaty,  England  was  bound  to  surrender  Malta,  an  island  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  to  the  Knights  of  St.  John,  an  order  which  had 
been  founded  at  the  time  of  the  crusades,  and  which,  after  main- 
taining a  war  against  the  Turks  fbr  many  hundred  years,  had  quietly 
established  itself  on  this  island. 

3.  England  was  also  bound  to  give  up  to  the  Dutch  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  which  it  had  captured  from  them.  But  when  the  de- 
mand was  made  upon  her  to  comply  with  these  stipulations,  she 
declined.  The  true  reason  for  this  refusal  was,  that  the  British  gov- 
ernment foresaw  that  other  causes  would  soon  bring  about  a  new  war, 
and  they  thought  they  would  save  themselves  the  trouble  of  captur- 
ing these  places  anew.  Hostilities  were  renewed  in  1803,  and  Mr. 
Pitt  resumed  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  ministry. 

4.  In  1804,  Bonaparte  was  proclaimed  Emperor  of  the  French. 
He  had  now  acquired  unlimited  sway,  not  only  in  that  country,  but 
also  over  a  great  part  of  Europe.  England  alone  remained  entirely 
independent.  As  she  had  no  allies  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  her 
active  operations  were  confined  principally  to  the  ocean,  on  which 
she  maintained  her  usual  superiority.  The  most  celebrated  naval 
battle  was  that  fought  off  Cape  Trafalgar,  in  Spain,  on  the  21st  of 
October,  1805,  when  the  British  fleet,  under  Lord  Nelson,  defeated 
the  combined  fleets  of  France  and  Spain. 

5.  In  the  midst  of  the  engagement.  Lord  Nelson  received  a  mortal 
wound.  When  he  felt  himself  wounded,  he  covered  his  face  with  his 
handkerchief,  and  concealed  the  decorations  of  his  coat,  fearing  lest 
his  crew  should  be  disheartened  by  knowing  that  the  commander  had 
fallen.  He  was  carried  down  to  the  surgeon's  room,  where  he  lived 
long  enough  to  know  that  his  fleet  was  victorious.  His  last  orders, 
given  almost  with  his  dying  breath,  were  that  the  ships  should  be 
anchored.    These  orders  were  not  obeyed,  and  the  consequence  was, 

CCIX.— 1.  When  did  Mr.  Pitt  go  out  of  office?  When  and  where  was  peace  made? 
2,  3.  Were  the  terms  of  this  treaty  executed?  W'hen  were  hostilities  renewed  ?  4.  W'hat 
naval  victory  did  the  English  gain?  Who  commanded  in  the  battle?  5.  Relate  the  par- 
ticulars of  Nelson'8  death.  6.  What  powers  joined  England  in  the  war?  Where,  and 
by  whom,  were  they  defeated?     7.  When   did  Mr.  Pitt  die?     Who  succeeded  him? 


8IK  ARTHUR  WELLE8LEY   SENT   TO   SPAIN. — 1808.       407 

that  most  of  the  ships  they  had  taken  were  driven  on  shore  in  a^gale 
which  sprang  up  in  the  night. 

6.  The  money  and  diplomacy  of  England  induced  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  in  conjunction  with  the  Emperor  of  Kussia,  once  more 
to  try  his  fortunes  in  a  war  with  France.  But  he  soon  found  reason 
to  repent  of  his  rashness.  Napoleon,  as  Bonaparte  was  called  after 
he  became  emperor,  advanced  at  once  into  Austria  with  a  powerful 
army.  Vienna,  the  capital,  was  taken,  and  the  Eussian  and  Aus- 
trian troops  were  defeated  at  Austerlitz. 

7.  Nothing  remained  for  the  Emperor  of  Austria  but  to  make 
peace,  which  he  did,  upon  very  humiliating  terms,  at  Presburg, 
December  26th,  1805.  The  death  of  Mr.  Pitt,  on  the  23d  of  Janu- 
ary, 1806,'  produced  a  change  in  the  British  ministry.  Charles 
James  Fox,  who  had  through  life  been  his  great  rival  for  power, 
was  placed  at  the  head  of  aflairs.  His  administration  was  cut  short 
by  his  death,  September  13, 1806.  Of  the  ministry  which  succeeded, 
Mr.  Perceval  is  usually  considered  the  head. 

8.  In  the  mean  time,  Napoleon  continued  his  victorious  career. 
The  King  of  Prussia,  who  had  taken  up  arms  against  him,  was  com- 
pelled, in  1807,  to  purchase  the  Peace  of  Tilsit,  by  the  surrender  of. 
a  considerable  portion  of  his  territories.  The  Emperor  of  Russia 
also  found  it  expedient  to  come  to  terms  with  the  French.  Thus, 
in  1808,  Napoleon  had  nearly  the  whole  continent  of  Europe  under 
his  control.  Out  of  the  territories  which  he  had  taken  from  Austria 
and  Prussia  he  formed  a  new  kingdom  for  his  brother  Jerome. 

9.  Upon  the  throne  of  Naples  he  placed  Murat,  his  brother-in- 
law.  The  King  of  Spain  was  a  prisoner  in  France,  and  Joseph 
Bonaparte,  brother  of  Napoleon,  was  seated  on  his  throne.  Louis 
Bonaparte,  another  brother,  was  King  of  Holland.  Portugal  was 
also  under  the  dominion  of  this  great  conqueror.  The  papal  power 
was  overthrown,  and  the  pope  himself  a  resident  in  France.  The 
Bourbon  claimant  of  the  throne  of  France  was  living  in  England, 
under  the  name  of  the  Count  de  Lille,  with  little  prospect  of  ever 
being  restored  to  his  rank. 


CHAPTER    OCX. 

f^.ir  Arthur  Wellesley  sent  into  Spain. — Death  of  Sir  John  Moore. — The 
Walcheren  Expedition. — The    Cabinet. — MQj^^^^fi}uiIy..~JJQndUi^^^ 
George  III,  duriiig  the  lastYmrs  ,(^Jd&,JLife. — A  Regent  appointed. 

1.  The  Spaniards  did  not  rest  quietly  under  a  foreign  yoke.  They 
rose  in  arms  against  their  invaders.  In  July,  1808,  a  British  army, 
under  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley,  was  sent  to  their  assistance.  Finding 
that  Portugal  offered  a  better  field  for  operations,  Wellesley  went 

When  did  Mr.  Fox  die?    8.  What  of  Napoleon's  career?     What  of  the  peace  of  Tilsit? 
What  of  Napoleon's  power  in  1808?    How  had  he  provided  for  his  family? 


408  THE    WALCIIEKEN    EXPEDITION. — 1809. 

thither.     He  was  so  successful  that  the  French  were  compelled  to 
withdraw  themselves  from  the  country. 

2.  Sir  John  Moore,  who  arrived  in  Spain  in  November,  with 
another  British  army,  was  not  so  fortunate.  Having  advanced  into 
the  country,  he  found  himself  compelled  to  make  a  rapid  retreat. 
He  arrived  at  Corunna,  January  16th,  1809,  closely  followed  by  the 
French,  under  Marshal  Soult,  who  attacked  the  British  as  they  were 
embarking.  Sir  John  Moore  was  among  the  killed.  He  was  buried 
on  the  ramparts  of  Corunna ;  an  event  which  is  commemorated  in 
the  beautiful  and  familiar  verses  of  Wolfe. 

3.  On  the  8th  of  April,  1809,  Austria  again  declared  war  against 
France ;  but  after  having  suffered  a  decisive  defeat  in  the  battle  of 
Wagram,  July  21,  was  compelled  again  to  sue  for  peace.  This  new 
treaty  was  cemented  by  the  marriage  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  with 
Maria  Louisa,  a  daughter  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria.  The  most 
remarkable  event  of  the  year,  so  far  as  England  was  concerned,  was 
the  Walcheren  expedition,  as  it  is  called,  fitted  out  against  Holland, 
and  which  was  most  disgracefully  unsuccessful. 

4.  The  reader  has  doubtless  remarked  the  great  change  which  has 
4;aken  place  in  the  notice  we  have  to  take  of  the  King  of  England. 
In  olden  times,  it  was,  "  the  king  did  this,"  and  "  the  king  did  that," 
— the  history  of  the  events  which  took  place  being  little  more  than 
an  account  of  the  king's  doings  and  adventures.  But  as  the  great 
body  of  the  people  had  now  increased  in  wealth  and  intelligence,  the 
relation  between  the  monarch  and  the  people  had  greatly  changed. 

5.  All  power  was  now  virtually  in  the  people ;  a  minister,  sup- 
ported by  the  king,  might  for  a  time  induce  a  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers of  parliament  to  vote  as  he  wished,  and  against  the  wishes  of 
a  majority  of  the  people;  but  eventually  the  will  of  the  people  pre- 
vails. It  is  a  maxim  of  English  law,  that  "  the  king  can  do  no 
wrong;"  therefore  he  cannot  be  held  responsible,  or  punished  for  his 
conduct  by  law.  To  guard  against  the  evils  which  might  result 
from  this,  it  is  a  provision  of  the  British  constitution  that  the  king 
himself  shall  perform  no  act  of  government. 

6.  Everything  must  be  done  by  certain  great  officers  of  state, 
corresponding  to  the  secretaries  of  state,  treasury,  &c.,  in  the  gov 
ernment  of  the  United  States.  These  officers  are  called  the  king'jj 
"  ministers,"  and  sometimes  "  the  cabinet."  They  are  responsible 
for  the  measures  that  government  adopt ;  and  formerly  they  gener- 
ally answered  with  their  lives  for  unpopular  measures.  Indeed,  as 
late  as  the  reign  of  George  I.,  it  was  almost  a  matter  of  course  that, 
upon  every  change  in  the  ministry,  the  chief  ministers  who  went 
out  of  power  should  be  impeached  for  high  treason. 

7.  Though  the  sovereign  took  so  little  active  part  in  affiiirs,  yet  he 
necessarily  possessed  a  great  influence  in  the  state ;  we  cannot,  there- 
fore, entirely  neglect  him.  In  November,  1810,  the  death  of  his 
youngest  and  favorite  child,  the  Princess  Amelia,  brought  upon 

CCX. — 1.  What  of  the  British  operations  in  Spain?  2.  What  of  Sir  John  Moore? 
3.  What  of  the  war  between  Austria  and  France?  What  expedition  fitted  out  by  Eng- 
land? 4,  What  change  has  taken  place  in  the  course  of  the  story?  5.  What  maxim 
as  to  the  king?     How  is  its  effect  obviated?     6.  What  of  the  cabinet?     7.  What  mis- 


WAR   WITH    THE    UNITED   STATES. 1812.  409 

George  III.  a  return  of  his  former  compliiint,  and  he  sank  into  a 
state  of  incurable  insanity.  About  the  same  time  he  became  totally 
blind.  He  had  a  few  lucid  intervals.  During  one  of  these  he  heard 
a  bell  tolling  for  a  funenil,  and  asked  whom  it  was  for. 

8.  On  being  told  that  it  was  for  a  tradesman's  wife  in  Windsor, 
he  said,  "  I  remember  her  well ;  she  was  a  good  woman,  and  brought 
up  her  family  in  the  fear  of  God.  She  is  gone  to  heaven ;  I  hope  I 
shall  soon  follow  her."  Little,  however,  is  known  of  the  last  years 
of  the  king's  life ;  for  the  queen,  with  true  feeling  and  delicacy,  could 
not  bear  that  his  calamities  should  be  exposed  to  the  public  gaze, 
and  by  her  particular  desire  he  was  seen  only  by  his  physicians  and 
necessary  attendants. 

9.  He  passed  his  time  chiefly  in  roving  from  room  to  room  of  the 
long  range  of  apartments  which  had  been  prepared  for  his  accom- 
modation in  Windsor  Castle.  In  these  apartments  were  placed 
several  harpsichords  and  pianofortes,  and  he  would  occasionally  play 
a  few  bars  of  Handel's  music  on  them  as  he  passed.  Sometimes  he 
would  hold  long  dialogues  with  imaginary  persons.  At  other  times 
he  would  suppose  himself  to  be  dead,  and  to  be  conversing  with 
angels,  and  would  talk  of  what  he  fancied  the  queen  and  his  children 
were  doing  in  this  world. 

10.  His  piety  was  continually  gleaming  through  all  his  wander- 
ings, and  he  would  often  pray  with  a  fervor  of  devotion  affecting  to 
those  who  overheard  him.  As  his  mental  disease  was  evidently  in- 
curable, it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  select  a  regent,  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales  was  appointed  without  any  opposition.  He  retained  all 
his  father's  ministers,  and  no  change  was  made  in  the  system  of  con- 
ducting public  affairs. 


% 


CHAPTER  CCXI. 

Th.p}  iY»e.Thp.arinq    Qqi(\dn^i   r^f  (jft^ni    Erifajp.   Jpn.rls  in   n.   l^^y  ^p/ZA  the 

lJnikdMkltt£^' —  War  in  the  Peninsula,  where  Lord  Wellington  com- 
mands the  British. — Expedition  of  Napoleon  into  Russia. — Disastrous 
Result. —  The  rest  of  Europe  combines  against  France. — Napoleon  sent 
to  Elba. — Returns  to  France  and  recovers  his  Rower  there. — Battle 
of  Waterloo. — He  is  dethroned  by  the  Allies,  and  sent  to  St.  Helena. 

1.  Great  Britain  exercised  her  superiority  on  the  ocean  in  a 
very  overbearing  manner  towards  those  nations  who  t®ok  no  part  in 
the  war,  and  subjected  the  commerce  o^  neutral  nations  to  innumer- 
able vexations.  The  citizens  of  the  United  States,  beingthe  most 
largely  engaged  in  commerce,  were  the  greatest  sufferers.  They  were 

fortunes  befell  George  III.  in  1810?      9.  How  did  he  pass  the  rest  of  his  life?   10.  B/ 
whom  was  the     nnitry  governed  ? 

.^6 


410        EXPEDITION    OF    NAPOLEOX    INTO    RUSSIA. — 1812. 

also  subjected  to  a  peculiar  outrage,  rising  from  the  common  origin 
of  the  two  nations. 

2.  Great  Britain  denied  the  right  of  any  person  to  renounce  his 
country  and  become  the  citizen  or  subject  of  any  other  state  or 
power.  In  pursuance  of  this  principle,  her  press-gangs  would  go 
on  board  neutral  ships,  and  take  from  them  such  persons  as  the> 
chose  to  consider  British  subjects.  The  common  language,  and 
great  resemblance  between  the  English  and  the  Americans,  made  it 
very  difficult  to  distinguish  between  them. 

3.  Nor  were  the  British  officers  very  careful  in  making  their  selec- 
tions, so  that  a  large  number  of  American  citizens  were  seized  in  this 
outrageous  manner,  and  held  in  bondage  on  board  British  vessels. 
A  British  press-gang  had,  indeed,  no  more  right  to  go  on  board  an 
American  vessel,  than  they  had  to  enter  our  house,  and  to  take  one 
uf  us  to  serve  in  their  vessels.  The  government  of  the  United  States 
remonstrated  in  vain  against  this  and  other  outrages,  and  at  length, 
when  other  measures  had  been  tried  without  effect,  in  1812  they  de- 
clared war. 

4.  This  contest  was  carried  on  at  such  a  distance  from  home,  and 
upon  so  small  a  scale,  compared  with  the  wars  which  were  waging  in 
Europe,  that  it  attracted  comparatively  little  attention  in  England. 
We  must  therefore  pass  it  over,  referring  the  reader,  for  full  details, 
to  another  volume."^\  We  now  return  to  Spain,  where,  during  the 
years  1811  and  1812,\he  British  troops,  under  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley, 
who  had  been  made  Lord  Wellington,  gained  many  victories,  but 
were  at  last  obliged  to  retire  into  Portugal. 

5.  In  1813,  Lord  Wellington  succeeded  in  driving  the  French  out 
of  Spain  and  Portugal,  or  the  Peninsula,  as  it  is  called,  and,  on  the 
7th  of  October,  entered  France.  He  advanced  into  the  country, 
and  on  the  11th  of  April,  1814,  defeated  the  French  army,  under 
Marshal  Soult,  at  Toulouse.  VWe  must  now  go  back  to  Napoleon, 
whom  we  left  at  the  pinnacled  of  greatness,  ruling  most  of  the  na- 
tions of  Europe.  On  the  continent,  Russia  alone  was  not  subject 
to  his  will.  The  attempt  was  now  to  be  made  to  subdue  that  country 
also. 

6.  On  the  24th  of  June,  1812,  Napoleon  passed  the  river  Niemen, 
the  boundary  of  Russia,  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  400,000.  men. 
Sweeping  all  before  him,  he  entered  Moscow,  the  ancient  capital  of 
the  country,  on  September  15th,  with  the  intention  of  passing  the 
winter  in  that  city.  But  the  Russian  governor,  before  he  left  the 
town,  had  caused  it  to  be  set  on  fire  in  various  places.  The  houses 
being  chiefly  of  wood,  the  flames  spread  with  so  much  rapidity,  that 
all  the  attempts  of  the  French  to  arrest  it  proved  vain,  and  two- 
thirds  of  the  city  was  destroyed. 

7.  It  had  never  entered  into  the  mind  of  Napoleon,  that  a  peoi:>le 

CCXI. — 2.  What  right  did  England  deny?  What  did  slie  do  in  pursuance  of  this 
denial?  3.  To  what  did  lier  conduct  lead?  Where,  in  Eiiropo,  were  tlie  British  troops 
Buccessfnl?  Who  commanded?  5.  When  did  Lord  Wellington  enter  France?  Wliat 
battle  did  he  gain?     6.  When  did  Napoleon  pass  the  Russian  boundary?     Wliat  was  liis 


Pictorial  Ilist'-ry  of  the  United  States,  by  the  author  of  Peter  Parley's  Tales.' 


ABDICATION    OF    NAPOLEON. 


Sl'l. 


411 


would  destroy  their  own  capital ;  he  had  therefore  made  no  pro- 
vision for  the  support  or  shelter  of  his  army  during  the  long  Rus- 
sian winter,  relying  upon  finding  every  necessary  thing  in  the 
captured  city.  He  was  now,  therefore,  in  great  difficulty.  His 
stores  were  exhausted ;  his  supplies  were  cut  off  by  the_  Russian 
troops ;  his  soldiers  were  dispirited  and  worn  out  by  fatigue  and 
exposure.     A  retreat  was  all  that  remained  to  him. 

8.  The  horrors  of  this  retreat  are  past  our  powers  to  describe. 
The  route  of  the  army  might,  in  many  places,  be  traced  by  the  dead 
bodies  of  those  who  perished  from  hunger,  cold,  and  fatigue.  Of 
the  host  that  entered  Russia,  not  more  than  50,000  re-crossed  the 
boundary  of  the  country  on  the  return.  On  the  4th  of  December, 
Napoleon  left  the  army,  and  set  off  on  a  rapid  journey  to  Paris./ 

9.  These  reverses  encouraged  the  subject  nations  to  endeavor  to 
shake  off  the  yoke  of  France.  Prussia  was  the  first  to  join  the  ad- 
vancing armies  of  Russia.  Sweden  and  Austria  followed  her  lead, 
and,  in  November,  1813,  Holland  joined  the  allies,  as  did  Denmark, 
in  January,  1814.  The  immense  armies  of  the  allies  compelled  the 
French  to  retreat  to  their  own  country,  whither  they  pursued.  On 
the  30th  of  March,  1814,  the  combined  armies  gained  a  great  vic- 
tory before  Paris,  and  the  next  day  entered  the  city  in  triumph.  / 


NAPOI.EON   ON   BOARD  THE   BELIiEROPHON. 

10,  On  the  4th  of  April,  Napoleon  abdicated  the  throne,  and 
retired  to  the  small  island  of  Elba,  on  the  coast  of  Italy,  which  was 
assigned  to  him  by  the  allied  powers.  The  Empress  Maria  Louisa 
and  her  infant  son  had  previously  gone  to  Vienna.  On  the  3d  of 
May,  Louis  XVIIL,  brother  and  heir  to  Louis  XVI.,  who  was  be- 


Buocess?    What  checked  his  career?    8.  What  of  his  retreat ?    9.  What  effect  had  these 
reverses  upon  other  nati    is?     10.  Relate  the  events  which  happened  till  peace  was  made. 


M)l. 


»V^: 


'•Vv 


4rl2  BATTLE   OF   WATERLOO. — 1815. 

headed,  made  his  entry  into  Paris.  On  the  30th  of  May,  peace  was 
concluded  betweeji  the  allied  powers  and  France.  A  few  months 
afterwards  peace  was  made  between  England  and  the  United 
States. 

11.  But  the  French  could  not  reconcile  themselves  to  a  king  who 
was  forced  upon  them  by  foreign  bayonets.  They  longed  for  an 
opportunity  to  get  rid  of  him.  This  was  soon  ofiered.  In  March, 
1815,  all  Europe  was  alarmed  by  the  news  that  Napoleon  had 
landed  in  France,  and  had  been  received  by  the  people  with 
acclamations  of  joy.  On  the  morning  of  March  20th,  Louis  XVIII. 
fled  from  Paris,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  Napoleon  took 
up  his  residence  in  the  royal  palace,  and  resumed  the  government 
without  opposition. 

12.  His  first  act  was  to  propose  to  the  allies  to  maintain  the 
peace  on  the  terms  which  had  lately  been  settled.  But  they  re- 
jected the  proposal,  and  put  their  armies  in  motion  for  the  pur- 
pose of  crushing  the  man  whose  ambition  troubled  the  world.  To 
prevent  their  entrance  into  France,  Napoleon  advanced  at  the 
head  of  150,000  men  into  the  Netherlands.  On  the  17th,  after 
some  bloody  conflicts,  the  allied  army,  under  Lord  Wellington, 
posted  itself  near  the  village  of  Waterloo. 

13.  About  ten  o'clock  the  next  day  began  one  of  the  severest 
battles  recorded  in  history.  It  raged  furiously  during  the  whole 
day,  and  ended  in  the  total  defeat  of  the  French.  When  all  was 
lost.  Napoleon  quitted  the  field,  attended  by  five  or  six  officers,  and 
arrived  at  Paris  on  the  night  of  the  20th.  Seeing  no  hope  of 
retrieving  his  affairs,  he  went  to  Kochefort  with  the  intention  of 
proceeding  to  the  United  States. 

14.  Finding  that  the  harbor  was  guarded  by  an  English  frigate, 
he  came  to  the  resolution  of  throwing  himself  upon  the  generosity 
of  the  English  nation;  a  confidence  which  was  requited,  by  the 
regent  and  party  in  power,  by  banishment  and  confinement  for 
life  at  St.  Helena,  a  little  rocky  island  rising  up  in  the  middle  of 
the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Here  he  died,  May  5th,  1821.  In  1840,  the 
whigs  being  in  power  in  England,  and  a  new  family  on  the  throne 
of  France,  an  expedition  was  sent  out  under  the  king's  son  to  bring 
the  body  of  Napoleon  to  France.  It  was  borne  to  Paris,  and  there 
re-entombed,  with  vast  pomp. 

15.  After  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  the  victorious  army  advanced 
upon  Paris,  which  made  no  resistance.  On  the  8th  of  July,  Louis 
XVIII.  re-entered  his  capital ;  but  the  foreign  troops  retained 
possession  of  it  till  peace  was  finally  restored,  which  took  place  in 
October.  By  the  treaty  the  allies  were  to  retain  several  fortresses 
on  the  side  of  the  Netherlands  for  five  years,  as  security  for  the 
preservation  of  peace,  and  to  have  the  troops  in  readiness  to  put 
down  any  rising  of  the  French  people.  The  expense  of  supporting 
these  troops  was  defrayed  by  France. 


11.  What  of  ttitf  feelings  of  the  French  ?  What  of  Napoleon  ?  When  was  the  battle  of 
Waterloo  fought?  Who. were  victorious?  What  became  of  Napoleon?  16.  What  WM 
done  as  to  France  aft»    the  battle  of  Waterloo  ? 


3  to  France  att»    the  Dattle  oi  Waterloo  t 


^ 


NATIONAL   DEBT   OF   GREAT   BRITAIN.  413 

r 


CHAPTER    CCXII.      ^"^yj 

The  National  Debt  of  Great  Britain. — H€Mfiff9i€(m»  (mdA^fhwright  makt     / 
great  Improvemeni&.in  3fach\ji^^rt/. —  W(jj(,t  q.iri<^^  j.he  Steam.Iln.ame.-^ 
Great  Importance  of  the  latter  in  England. 

1.  It  may  well  excite  our  surprise  that  Great  Britain  should  be 
able  to  obtain  money  enough  to  sustain  her  long  wars.  She  not 
only  had  her  own  troops  to  support,  but  the  assistance  of  Austria, 
Prussia,  and  other  powers  was  purchased  at  great  cost.  They  were 
in  fact  bribed  to  take  part  in  the  wars  which  were  ostensibly  carry- 
ing on  for  their  own  deliverance.  The  immediate  means  by  which 
England  obtained  her  supplies  of  money  consisted  in  loans. 

2.  There  are  a  great  many  men  in  England  who  have  money 
which  they  do  not  wish  to  employ  in  business,  and  which  they  are 
willing  to  lend  to  the  government,  receiving  a  certain  sum  for  the 
use  of  it,  which  sum,  or  interest,  is  usually  paid  half-yearly.  The 
government  issues  a  written  paper,  specifying  the  sum  lent,  and  the- 
rate  of  interest,  or  amount  of  half-yearly  payment.  This  debt,  on 
the  part  of  the  government,  constitutes  what  is  called  the  public 
funds.  It  is  divided  into  very  small  sums,  and  portions  of  it  are 
bought  and  sold  like  bank  stock,  or  railroad  stock. 

3.  This  debt,  whicli,  was  commenced  by  William  III.,  now 
amounts  to  four  thousand  millions  of  dollars.  There  is  no  idea  that 
the  principal  of  it  will  ever  be  paid.  The  interest  on  it  amounts  to 
a  very  large  sum,  and  as  this  must  be  raised  by  taxes,  a  very  heavy 
burden  is  imposed  on  the  people.  But  they  submit  to  this  cheer- 
fully, rather  than  violate  the  public  faith.  The  punctuality  in  the 
payment  of  interest  gives  such  confidence  to  the  people  who  have 
money  to  lend,  that  upon  one  occasion  during  the  war,  the  enormous 
sum  of  ninety  millions  of  dollars  was  borrowed  in  fifteen  hours. 

4.  But  we  may  ask  how  the  people  of  England  became  so  rich. 
Chiefly  by  commerce  and  the  increase  of  manufactures,  especially 
that  of  cotton.  Until  the  middle-OJ^the  last  century  the  spinning 
of  cotton  was  performed  byjr^md,'  witlTthe  aid  orthe  common  spin- 
ning-wheel. In  1767,  Richard  Hargraves,  a  carpenter,  invented  the 
spinning -^jenny,  a  macliiner^y  which  a  great  many  threads  could  be 
spun  with  as  much  ea&e  as  one  could  before.  ""^ 

5.  This  was  a  great  improvement,  but  the  spinning-jenny  required      j 
to  be  worked  by  hand.     In  1770,  Richard  Arkwright,  a  barber  of      j 
Preston,  in  England,  made  public'  his  invention  of  the  water-spin-  J 
ningframe,  a  machine  which  may  be  moved  wholly  by  water  or 
steam,  and  which  does  the  work  of  a  vast  number  of  humau-fing^rs 

in  the  same  time,  and  with  much  more  jprecision..^' '^ 

6-.  This  invention  gave  an  lmmense''impurse  to  industry,  and  by 
enabling  Great  Britain  to  manufacture  at  a  cheaper  rate  than  any 


CCXII. — 2.  What  is  mean    by  the  terra  public  funds  ?    4.  What  Is  the  great  sourc* 
3">  * 


414     ADVANTAGES  OF  STEAM  IN  MANUFACTURES. 

other  nation,  added  enormously  to  her  wealth.  Arkwright  m.iy 
well  be  called  a  benefactor  of  his  country,  for  by  diminishing  the 
cost  of  an  article  of  clothing,  he  added  to  the  comforts  of  the  poor, 
who  are  by  far  the  largest  portion  of  the  people.  An  immense 
fortune  was  the  reward  of  his  ingenuity. 

7.  But  as  there  are  in  Great  Britain,  compared  with  our  own 
country,  few  streams  which  have  a  sufficient  fall  of  water  to  move 
machinery,  the  inventions  of  Arkwright  would  have  been  of  com- 
paratively little  advantage,  without  the  aid  of  the  steam  engine 
which,  about  the  same  time,  was  rendered  an  efficient  agent,  and 
brought  into  general  use,  in  consequence  of  the  improvements  made 
in  it  by  James  Watt,  a  mechanic  of  Glasgow,  in  Scotland. 

8.  Of  the  immense  value,  in  England,  of  these  improvements  in  a 
machine  which  was  before  of  comparatively  little  worth,  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  an  English  author  may  convey  an  idea.  "  Con- 
sidered in  its  application  to  husbandry,  the  farmer  looks  out  upon 
the  neat  paling  in  front  of  his  dwelling ;  it  was  sawed  by  steam. 
The  spade  with  which  he  digs  his  garden,  the  rake,  the  hoe,  the 
pickaxe,  the  scythe,  the  sickle, — every  implement  of  rural  toil, — are 
produced  by  steam. 

9.  "  Steam  bruises  the  oil-cake  which  feeds  his  cattle ;  moulds  the 
ploughshare  which  turns  up  his  fields ;  forms  the  shears  which  clip 
his  flock ;  and  cards,  spins,  and  weaves  the  produce.  Applied  to  ar- 
chitecture, we  find  the  hundred  arms  of  the  steam  engine  everywhere 
at  work.  Stone  is  cut  by  it,  marble  polished,  cement  ground,  mortar 
mixed,  floors  sawed,  doors  planed,  chimney-pieces  carved,  lead  rolled 
for  roofs,  and  drawn  for  gutters,  rails  formed,  gratings  and  bolts 
forged,  paints  ground  and  mixed,  and  paper  made  and  stained. 

10.  "  By  the  same  power  is  worsted  dyed  and  carpet  wove,  ma- 
hogany veneered,  door  locks  ornamented,  the  stuff  for  curtains 
made,  printed  and  measured ;  fringes,  tassels  and  bell-ropes,  chair 
covers  and  chair-rails,  bell-wires,  linens  and  blankets  manufactured ; 
china  and  earthen  ware  turned ;  glass  cut  and  pier-glass  formed ; 
the  drawing-room,  dining-room,  kitchen  closets,  all  owe  to  steam 
their  most  essential  requisites. 

11.  "Should  it  be  asked,  what  has  enabled  the  mechanic  to  wear 
two  hats  a  year  instead  of  going  bareheaded  or  sporting  the  bonnet 
which  their  father  wore;  what  has  clothed  them  in  suits  of  cloth  as 
good  as  that  worn  by  the  highest  in  the  land ;  what  has  donned  for 
their  wives  the  apparel  of  ladies,  made  their  boys  rejoice  in  a  plu- 
rality of  suits ; 

12.  "What  has,  in  the  bridal  hour,  dressed  their  daughters  in 
robes,  delicate  in  texture  as  the  spider's  web,  beautiful  in  color  as 
the  rainbow's  hues,  and  for  elegance  such  as  never,  in  their  gran- 
dames^  younger  days,  even  duchesses  wore ;  what  plaited  her  bonnet, 
tamboured  her  net,  wove  her  laces,  knitted  her  stockings,  veneered 
her  comb,  flowered  her  ribands,  gilded  her  buttons,  sewed  her  shoes, 


of  England's  wealth?     What  of  Hargraves  ?    5.  What  of  Arkwright?    7.  What  of  James 
Watt?    9    State  generally  the  benefits  of  the  steam  engine  to  Great  Britain. 


LORD    KXMOUTll's    EXFEDITION    TO   ALGIERS. — 1816.      415 

and  even  fashioned  the  iv^sette  that  ornamented  their  ties?    The 
answer  is, — steams 


CHAPTEK  CCXIII. 

Lord  Exmouth's  Expedition  to  Algiers. —  The  African  Slave- Trade 
suppressed. — Jo/m^IIoward^  the  Philanthropist. 

1 .  The  Algerines  and  the  other  states  of  Barbary,  on  the  African 
coast  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  had  for  many  centuries  been  little 
better  than  hordes  of  pirates.  Fitting  out  cruisers,  they  seized  upon 
the  vessels  of  all  nations  frequenting  the  Mediterranean,  and  made 
slaves  of  the  unhappy  persons  whom  they  found  in  them.  It  is  un- 
accountable that  the  powerful  nations  of  Europe  should  so  long  have 
submitted  to  their  depredations. 

2.  Instead  of  sending  forces  to  break  up  the  nests  of  these  pirates, 
commercial  nations  were  in  the  habit  of  purchasing  the  safety  of 
their  vessels  by  the  annual  payment  of  large  sums  of  money  to  the 
chiefs  of  the  several  states.  We  believe  the  United  States  were  the 
first  who  made  any  vigorous  attack  upon  them.  In  the  spring  of 
1816,  the  British  government  sent  Lord  Exmouth  to  remonstrate 
with  the  Dey  or  Governor  of  Algiers  against  his  piratical  depredations. 

3.  The  dey  released  some  Christian  slaves,  and  promised  to  ab- 
stain from  making  any  for  the  future.  But  not  long  after,  the  news 
reached  England  that  some  Italians,  who  were  fishing  for  pearls  at 
Bona,  had  been  carried  off  for  slaves.  This  want  of  faith  highly 
incensed  the  people  of  England,  and  Lord  Exmouth  was  sent  out 
with  a  s(][uadron  to  compel  the  Algerines  to  perform  their  promises. 

4.  It  is  usual  for  commercial  nations  to  keep  a  representative, 
called  a  consul,  in  each  of  the  principal  foreign  ports.  It  is  the  duty 
of  the  consul  to  protect  the  rights  of  the  people  whom  he  represents. 
Lord  Exmouth's  first  act  was  to  send  a  vessel  to  bring  away  the 
British  consul  from  Algiers.  The  dey,  who  had  received  informa- 
tion of  the  intentions  of  the  English,  had  already  put  the  consul  in 
prison  ;  but  his  wife  and  daughter,  disguising  themselves,  contrived 
to  reach  the  British  vessel. 

5.  The  consul's  youngest  child,  a  little  infant,  was,  for  better  con- 
cealment, put  into  a  basket,  which  one  of  the  English  sailors  was. 
to  carry  on  board,  as  if  it  was  only  a  bundle  of  clothes ;  but  the 
poor  little  baby  began  to  cry,  and  thus  betrayed  itself  to  the  Moors, 
who  seized  upon  it.  The  poor  mother  passed  many  wretched  hours 
in  terrible  uncertainty  for  the  fate  of  her  chi4d  ;  but  the  dey  had  the 
humanity  to  send  it  to  her  the  next  morning,  and  thus  her  grief 
was  changed  to  transport. 

6.  On  May  27th,  1816,  Lord  Exmouth  with  his  fleet  came  in  sight 

CCXIII. — 1.  What  of  the  states  of  Barbary?  2.  What  expodition  was  Lord  ExniotUh 
Bent  upon?    3.  What  led  to  tlio  second  expedition?    4.  What  of  a  consul?     Hehifc  flio 


416  HOWARI^    THE   PHILANTHROPIST. 

of  Algiers.  He  sent  at  once  to  demand  of  the  dey,  that  all  Christian 
slaves  should  be  set  at  liberty.  Keceiving  no  answer  after  having 
waited  several  hours,  he  began  to  fire  upon  the  town.  The  batteries 
of  the  town  returned  a  tremendous  fire  upon  the  ships.  But  this 
soon  ceased  ;  for  in  a  short  space  of  time,  the  dey's  magazines,  ship- 
ping, and  a  large  part  of  the  town,  were  destroyed. 

7.  The  next  morning  the  dey  sent  to  inform  Lord  Exmouth  that 
he  would  agree  to  the  terms  demanded ;  and  before  noon  most  of  the 
Christian  slaves  were  released,  and  the  English  fleet  in  a  few  days 
sailed  from  Algiers.  We  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  efforts 
which  were  made  during  this  reign  to  put  an  end  to  the  traffic  in 
Africans,  carried  on  by  the  subjects  of  Christian  countries,  com- 
monly called  the  slave-trade. 

8.  The  law  forbidding  British  subjects  to  be  concerned  in  it  was 
passed  during  the  short  administration  of  Mr.  Fox ;  after  a  contest 
of  several  years  with  those  interested  in  the  continuance  of  the  trade. 
That  the  measure  was  finally  carried,  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  per- 
severing exertions  of  Mr.  Wilberforce,  seconded,  out  of  parliament, 
by  those  of  Mr.  Clarkson,  who  devoted  his  whole  life  to  the  cause. 

9.  Neither  must  we  forget  to  mention  the  efforts  of  John  Howard, 
another  friend  of  humanity,  who  devoted  his  time  to  the  ameliora- 
tion of  the  condition  of  persons  confined  in  prisons  and  jails.  He 
visited  all  the  jails  in  England,  and  made  known  their  condition  to 
the  public,  which,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  was  horrible;  thus 
securing  the  adoption  of  measures  for  its  improvement.  He  then 
passed  over  to  the  continent,  and  made  several  journeys  to  the  dif- 
ferent countries,  visiting  the  prisons  and  the  hospitals. 

10.  In  1789,  he  published  an  account  of  these  institutions,  and 
made  known  his  intention  of  visiting  Russia  and  Turkey,  and  the 
countries  of  Asia,  on  the  same  benevolent  errand.  A  little  before 
he  left  England,  when  a  friend  expressed  his  concern  at  parting  with 
him,  he  cheerfully  replied,  "  We  shall  soon  meet  in  heaven ;"  and  as 
he  knew  the  risk  he  incurred  of  dying  of  the  plague  in  Egypt,  he 
added,  "  The  way  to  heaven  from  Cairo  is  as  near  as  from  London." 
This  good  man  did  fall  a  victim  to  his  humanity ;  for,  in  visiting  a 
sick  prisoner  at  Cherson,  in  Russia,  he  caught  a  malignant  fever, 
and  died  January  20th,  1790. 


CHAPTER  CCXIV.  i^    ; 


Death  of  George  III. — ThS-JjitJiQrs.  whQ.Jiawrish.ed  in  the  latter  part 
qf^his  Reign. 

1.  During  the  last  nine  years  of  his  life,  George  III.  was  in  a  mel- 
ancholy state  of  blindness,  deafness,  and  mental  incapacity,  which  wa? 

particulars  of  Lord  Exmouth's  conduct  at  Algiers.    ".  What  of  the  African  slave-trad.' ! 
».  "W  hat  of  Howard  ?     10,  Where  did  he  die  ? 


DEATH    OF   GEORGE   III. 1820.  417 

ei-ded  by  his  death,  January  29th,  1820.  He  was  in  the  eighty- 
second  year  of  liis  age,  and  the  sixtieth  of  his  reign.  He  continuea 
his  active  habits  till  within  a  few  days  of  his  death ;  and,  notwith- 
standing his  want  of  sight,  he  constantly  dressed  himself  without 
assistance.  At  last,  the  powers  of  life  seemed  quite  worn  out,  and 
he  died  without  any  apparent  suffering. 

2.  George  III.  not  only  reigned  longer,  but  also  lived  to  a 
greater  age,  tlian  any  other  English  monarch.  Before  closing  our 
account  of  this  long  and  eventful  reign,  we  will  mention  some  of 
the  men  of  letters  who  gained  distinction  during  the  latter  part  of 
it.  VV^e  shall  not  attempt  to  give  an  idea  of  their  respective  styles 
or  merits ;  for  this  we  must  refer  the  reader  to  critical  works,  or, 
what  is  better,  the  productions  of  these  authors  themselves.  We 
can  do  little  more  than  mention  names  and  dates,  so  as  to  indicate 
when  those  authors  lived  whose  names  are  so  constantly  occurring 
in  books  and  conversation. 

3.  About  the  time  of  the  French  Eevolution,  as  great  a  change 
took  place  in  the  style  in  which  ideas  were  presented  to  the  public, 
as  in  that  in  which  the  body  was  arrayed.  In  the  preceding  period, 
it  appears  to  have  been  impossible  for  the  writers  to  shake  off  the 
formality  and  precision  which  accompanied  full-bottomed  wigs 
and  hoop-petticoats.  The  old  Greek  and  Roman  heroes  and  sages 
seemed  to  wear  the  wigs  and  brocades  and  the  stately  manners  of 
George  II. 's  reign.  But  now  more  natural  and  easy  fashions  pre- 
vailed, and  writers  adopted  language  and  a  style  suitable  to  ^he 
objects  and  times  to  be  represented. 

4.  A  collection  of  old  ballads,  published  in  1755,  by  Bi.^nop 
Percy,  familiarly  known  as  Perci/s  Reliques,  was  the  immediate 
means  of  exciting  a  taste  for  simple  and  unaffected  poetry.  The 
change  in  style  was  gradual,  for  authors  are  very  reluctant  to 
acknowledge  that  any  manner  can  be  better  than  the  one  which 
they  have  adopted.  It  was  not,  therefore,  till  a  new  generation  of 
authors  should  appear,  educated  amid  the  influence  of  the  im- 
proved public  taste,  that  a  very  decided  change  was  to  be  expected. 
Among  the  first  to  throw  off  the  trammels,  was  William  Cowper, 
who  seems  to  have  been  hardly  conscious  of  his  poetical. talent,  till 
he  was  fifty  years  old,  at  which  age,  in  1782,  he  published  the 
Table  Ihlk,  and,  two  years  afterwards,  The  Task. 

5.  Cowper  expresses,  in  unaffected  language,  his  own  feelings, 
which  were  deeply  tinged  with  melancholy,  a  trait  of  character 
which  we  should  hardly  expect  in  the  author  of  the  humorous 
ballad  of  John  Gilpin.  George  Crabbe,  a  country  clergyman,  who 
was  born  in  1754,  wrote  some  nattiTal'?md  pleasing  sketches,  in 
verse,  of  rural  life.  The  first  poems  of  the  Scottish  peasant,  Robert 
Burns,  >yere  published  in  1786.  He  was  then  twenty-seven  years 
old.  His  beautiful  songs  soon  acquired  for  him  a  reputation,  not 
only  in  England,  but  also  in  foreign  lands. 

CCXIV.— 1.  When  did  George  III.  dio?  What  was  the  length  of  his  reign?  What 
his  age?  3.  Wliat  change  in  tlie  style  of  writing?  4.  What  publication  led  to  a  change 
In  the  public  tasted     What  of  William  Cowper?     5.  What  of  Crabbe?     What  of  Burns? 


418  DISTINGUISHED    AUTHORS   OF    THE    TIME. 

6.  In  the  same  year,  SamuelJSxj^rs,  a  London  banker,  published 
his  first  vohime  of  poems,  which  were  followed,  in  1792,' by  The 
llrt0  Pleasures  of  Mewonj,  the  poem  by  which  he  is  best  known. '  The 
poets  of  the  preceding  reign  had  a  strong  similarity  in  their  style, 
be^^e  it  was  formed  upon  the  received  model,  Pope.    But  Cow- 
efyCrabbe,  Burns,  and  Eogers,  are  very  different  from  each  other, 
and  William  W-ordsworth,  born  in  1770,  adopted  yet  another  and  a 
peculiar  style.     He  sought  to  express,  in  common   language,  the 
ordinary  incidents  of  life,  conveying,  however,  a  deep  and  touching 
moral  and  meaning. 
1  I*  /Jajk"^'  Samuel  Taylor^Ilolerr^e,  a  man  of  genius,  but  too  much  in- 
/^(/T'^^vMined  tolne^aphysical  studies  to  be  popular,  was  born  in  1773,  and 
(/began  to  publish  verses  in  1794.     The  struggle  for  liberty,  first  in 
America,  and  afterwards  in  France,  the  breaking  up  of  customs 
and  institutions  which  had  held  the  human  mind  in  bondage  for  so 
many  centuries,  could   not  fail  to  excite  young  men   of  genius. 
Wordsworth  and  Coleridge  were  stirred  up  by  the  exciting  events  of 
Y/      the  day,  as  was  Robert  Southej,  a  poet  of  the  first  rank,  born  in  1774. 
S*****^     8.  Southey  was  at  first  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  French 
^Revolution,  and  an  advocate  for  the  utmost  liberty  and  equality 
among  men.     In  his  twenty-first  year  he  published  a  poem,  the 
heroine  of  which  was  Joan  of  Arc,  the  Maid  of  Orleans,  whose  his- 
tory we  have  briefly  noticed.   He  proposed  to  carry  his  notions  into 
practice,  by  establishing,  in  connection  with  Coleridge  and  a  Mr. 
Loyell,  a  philosophical  government  on  the  banks  of  the  Susque- 
hanna, in  Pennsylvania.     But  the  scheme  was  broken  up  by  the 
marriage  of  the  three  young  enthusiasts  with  three  sisters,  who,  we 
suppose,  were  not  so  ready  to  sacrifice  real  comforts  for  ideal  advan- 
cages.     In  later  life,  Southey  was  a  staunch  friend  of  the  church 
and  state,  in  England,  and  became  poet-laureate  under  George  III. 
.  9.  The  next  of  the  great  modern  poets  is  Thomas  Campbell,  born 

^^/jMn  Scotland,  in  1777.     His  Pleasures  of  Hope  was  published  in  1799. 
"'^"^'^'^^very  one  is  familiar  with  his  poetry,  for  his  shorter  pieces  are  to 
y    be  found  in  all  the  "readers"  and  "class-books."     Next  comes  Sir 
y/n.  V,  Walter  Scott,  whose  delightful  tales  have  entertained  and  instructed 
)JU^   many  grandchildren,  besides  Master  Hugh  Littlejohn.     It  was  as  a 
poet  that  he  first  gained  a  reputation.     He  was  born  in  Scotland,  in 
1771.     The  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,  his  first  long  original  poem, 
was  published  in  1805.     This,  and  the  other  poems  which  suc- 
ceeded it,  were  received  with  an  avidity  hitherto  unexampled. 
^  ^  10.  He  maintained  his  place  as  the  most  popular  poet  till  he  was 
)        {'''^'supplanted  in  public  favor  by  Lord  Byron,  born  in  1788,  who,  in 
, /aL-^      1812,  published  the  first  part  of  Childe  Harold's  Pilgrimage.     Find- 
'  h       ing  himself  eclipsed  in  public  favor.  Sir  Walter  abandoned  poetry, 
'        and  devoted  himself  to  another  species  of  composition.     In  1814,  a 
novel,  called    Waverley,  made  its  appearance.     The  name  of  the 
author  was  carefully  concealed.     Otner  novels,  by  the  "author  of 
Waverley,"  followed  in  rapid  succession,  and  placed  the  "  Great  Un- 

6.  What    of    Rogers?     What    of  the   style   of   those   poets?     What    of   Wordsworth? 

7.  What  of  .Coleridge?     What  of  Southey?     Wliat  project  did  he  form?     9.  What  of 
Campbell  ?     What  of  Scott  ?     Who  supplanted  Scott  in  public  favor  as  a  poet  ?    10.  What 


DISTINGUISHED    AUTHORS   OF   THE   TIME. 


419 


P 


known,"  as  this  author  was  familiarly  called,  far  above  all  writers  of 
prose  fiction,  and  in  the  rank  with  Shakspeare,  Milton,  and  the 
great  masters  in  literature. 

11.  We  can  hardly  conceive  the  interest  with  which  the  question 
of  authorship  was  discussed,  or  the  enthusiasm  with  which  the  works 
themselves  were  received.  The  battle  of  Waterloo,  upon  the  result 
of  which  depended  the  fate  of  empires,  hardly  excited  more  interest, 
than  the  announcement  of  a  new  novel  by  the  author  of  Waverley. 
Public  opinion  soon  fixed  on  Scott  as  the  author,  but  it  was  not  till 
1 827  that  he  publicly  acknowledged  it. 

12.  We  must  now  go  back  a  little  to  speak  of  a  few  novel-writers 
of  an  earlier  date.  In  1777,  ]VIisa_BjLLrney,  afterwards  Madame 
D' Arblay,  published  Evelina.  She  was  then  but  about  twenty  years 
old,  and  she  had  carefully  concealed  from  every  person,  even  her 
parents,  that  she  was  writing  a  book.  It  was  received  with  great 
favor  by  the  public,  and,  as  the  author's  name  was  not  given,  all 
were  eager  to  know  who  it  could  be.  The  parents  of  Miss  Burney 
were  not  less  jDleased  and  curious  than  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  and 
we  may  well  suppose  the  author  never  enjoyed  a  happier  moment, 
than  when  she  told  them  that  the  work  which  everybody  was  prais- 
ing, and  which  had  afforded  them  so  much  pleasure,  was  the  produc- 
tion  of  their  own  youthful  daughter. 


HANNAH  MORE. 


18.  jMrs  Radcliffe,  who  wrote  romances  abounding  in  terrors,  was 
born  in  1 764,  and  pulilished  her  first  book  in  1789.  Miss  Edg<jwarth 
Mrs.  Opie,  Mrs.  Barbauld,  and  Miss  Hannah  More,  flourished  during 
the  period  of  which  we  are  now  speaking.     Hitherto  we  have  only 


now  forn 


I    of  roniposition  did    Scott  appear  in?     With   what  success?    11.    What  of 


} 


J 
"i  420  FAMILY   OF    GEORGE   III. 


rd      noticed  authors  of  works  of  imagination.     There  were  no  historical 
r«        works  of  so  much  brilliancy  and  polish  as  those  produced  in  the 
preceding  period,  but  many  which  exceed  them  in  accuracy.     In 
•'1784,  Aclam.  Eergusson  published  a  History  of  the  Roman  RepubHc. 

14.  Tn  1786,  Adani_^llies  published   The  History  of  Greece,  a 
work  long  esteemed,  but  now  superseded  by  Mr.  Mitford^s  history. 
William  Roscoe,  a  lawyer,  and  afterwards  a  banker,  pu"blished,  in 
1795,  the  Life  of  Lorenzo  de'  Medici,  and  in  1805,  a  Life  of  Pope  Leo 
X.    The  other  distinguished  historians  of  this  period,  are  Sharon 
Turner,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  many  stories  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  times;  John  Lingard,  a  Catholic  priest,  who  has  written  a 
history  of  England,  which  is  adopted  as  the  standard  history  among 
Catholics ;  Henry  Hallam,  and  Charles  James  Fqx,  the  distinguished 
statesman. 
J'   ^        15.  This  period  was  particularly  rich  in  voyages  and  travels.  Peri- 
W       odical  literature  also  made  a  great  advance  in  merit.   In  1802,  a  few 
Jv      young  men,  just  out  of  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  established  the 
H  \^^  Edinburgh  Review,  whose  pages  exhibited  so  much  talent,  as  soon  to 
y     throw  all  other  works  of  the  kind  quite  into  the  shade.    The  writers 
w^re  all  whigs,  and  advocated  liberal  principles.     To  counteract  its 
fafluence,  the  tories,  in  1809,  commenced  the  publication,  in  London, 
of  a  similar  work,  by  the  title  of  the  Quarterly  Review.   These  works 
still  maintain  their  place  at  the  head  of  this  department  of  literature. 


/■ 


FAMILY  OF  GEORGE  III. 
WIFE. 

Charlotte,  Princess  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz. 

CHILDREN. 

George,  Prince  of  Wales,  afterwards  George  IV. 

Frederick,  Duke  of  York,  died  January  5th,  1827,  leaving  no  children. 
William  Henry,  Duke  of  Clarence,  afterwards  William  IV. 
Charlotte  Augusta,  married  the  Duke  of  Wirtemberg. 
Edward,  Duke  of  Kent,  died  January  23d,  1820. 
y-  Augusta  Sophia,  died  September  22d,  1840,  unmarried. 
/     Elizabeth,  married  the  Prince  of  Hesse-Homburg. 

Ernest  Augustus,  Duke  of  Cumberland,  afterwards  King  of  Hanover, 

Augustus  Frederick,  Duke  of  Sussex. 

Adolphus  Frederick,  Duke  of  Cambridge. 

Mary,  married  her  cousin,  the  Duke  of  Gloucester. 

Sophia. 

Octavius,  died  in  1783. 

Alfred,  died  in  1782. 

Amelia,  died  in  1810. 

GRANDCHILDREN. 
Alexandria  Victoria,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Kent,  and  now  queen,  born 

May  24th,  1819. 
George  Frederick,  son  of  the  King  of  Hanover. 
George  William,  son  of  the  Duke  of  Cambridge. 
Augusta,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Cambridge. 


Miss  Burney?    13.  What  5ther  novelists  flourished  at  this    period?    What  historian* 
»re  mentiored?    15.  What  of  periodical  literature? 


GEORGE   IV. — 1820.  421 


CHAPTER    CCXV. 

f7rrr[Tr;  TV\  ^^'"  Character,  Person,  Education,  arid  Habits. — Mrs. 
Piizherbert;  new  Marriage  Act. —  The  Marriage  of  the  Prince  to 
Caroline  of  Brunswick. — His  singular  Conduct  and  Change  in  his 
Mode  of  Life. — The  great  Discontents  which  prevailed  during  the 
last  Years  of  his  Regency. 


gp:orge  IV. 

1.  George  IV.  was  fifty-eight  years  of  age  when  he  succeeded 
his  father.  Nature  had  given  him  warm  feelings,  more  than  ordi- 
nary abilities,  and  not  a  bad  heart.  He  often,  in  the  course  of  his 
life,  performed  kind  actions;  but  he  also  allowed  himself  to  be 
^easily  offended,  and  when  he  was,  he  seldom  forgave.  His  mind 
was  cultivated,  his  manners  graceful  and  dignified ;  and  he  could 
assume,  when  he  chose,  an  urbanity  quite  irresistible.  He  was  of 
a  fair  complexion,  and,  in  his  youth,  had  a  fine  face  and  person. 

2.  The  king,  his  father,  had  often  felt  and  lamented  the  disadvan- 
tages of  his  own  limited  education,  and  was  anxious  that  his  son 
should  have  nothing  to  regret  on  that  score.  Very  able  men  were 
appointed  to  be  his  preceptors.  It  has  been  said  that  these,  in  their 
great  zeal  to  fulfil  their  duty,  did  not  sufliciently  study  the  temper 
and  character  of  their  royal  pupil,  or  the  peculiar  circumstances 
in  which  he  was  placed,  and  that  they  subjected  him  to  too  much 
restraint. 

3.  On  being  emancipated  from  his  pupilage,  he  surrounded  himself 

CCXV.— 1.  How  old  was  George  IV.  when  he  succeeded  to  the  throne?  What  is 
said  of  his  character?      3.  Whom  did   he  take  for  his  model,  when   a  young  man? 


422  CHARACTER    AND    HABITS    OF    GEORGE   IV. 

with  gay  companions,  and  launched  into  an  excess  of  folly  and  ex- 
travagance. It  was  said,  by  way  of  apology,  that  the  young  prince 
had  chosen  Henry^V.  for  his  model,  and  that  he  meant  (nly  to 
divert  himself  a  while,  and  that,  when  the  time  should  come  for 
assuming  a  more  elevated  character,  he,  too,  would  cast  away  his 
follies,  and  rise  superior  to  his  former  self. 

4.  But,  unfortunately,  this  time  was  so  long  in  coming,  that  he 
at  last  became  confirmed  in  frivolity  and  dissipation,  setting  at 
nought  good  precepts,  good  example,  and  even  good  report.  He  is 
Bald  to  have  declared  to  a  friend,  a  short  time  before  his  death,  that 
he  found  too  late  that  he  had  made  a  fatal  mistake ;  and  that,  were 
his  life  to  come  over  again,  he  would  aim  at  something  better  than 
being  a  man  of  pleasure. 

5.  When  the  prince  was  about  twenty-two,  he  became  attached 
to  Mrs.  Fitzherbert,  a  lady  many  years  older  than  himself,  but  of 
great  beauty  and  agreeableness.  It  was  rumored  that  the  prince 
had  privately  married  her.  The  marriage  would  not  have  been 
binding,  because,  by  a  law  made  in  the  early  part  of  George  III.'s 
reign,  all  marriages  entered  into  by  members  of  the  royal  family, 
without  the  written  consent  of  the  sovereign,  were  declared  to  be  void. 

6.  This  law  was  made  in  consequence  of  the  king's  two  brothers 
having  followed  their  inclinations,  and  married  agreeable  English 
ladies,  in  preference  to  foreign  princesses,  with  whom,  for  reasons 
of  state,  George  III.  would  have  been  better  pleased.  The  report, 
however,  of  the  Prince  of  Wales'  marriage  caused  great  agitation 
throughout  the  kingdom,  and  became  a  matter  of  discussion  in  par- 
liament. Mr.  Fox,  then  one  of  the  prince's  friends,  by  his  author- 
ity denied  the  marriage,  calling  the  report  "  a  monstrous  calumny." 

7.  At  this  time,  and  for  some  years  afterwards,  the  personal  ex- 
penses of  the  prince  were  enormous,  and  far  exceeded  his  allowance ; 
80  that,  in  1794,  his  debts  amounted  to  little  less  than  three  and  a 
half  millions  of  dollars.  His  thoughtless  extravagance  brought  upon 
him,  in  spite  of  his  otherwise  popular  qualities,  the  contempt  of  the 
public,  and  the  serious  clispleasure  of  his  father,  who,  however,  in 
the  hope  that  his  character  would  be  benefited  by  his  forming  new 
ties,  promised  him  that  his  debts  should  be  paid  if  he  would  marry 
such  a  person  as  should  be  selected  for  him. 

8.  The  prince  reluctantly  consented,  and,  in  1795,  married  his 
cousin,  the  Princess  Caroline  of  Brunswick.  This  union,  as  might 
have  been  expected  under  such  circumstances,  was  not  a  happy  one, 
and,  after  the  birth  of  one  child,  the  Princess  Charlotte,  a  separation 
took  place.  The  wife  of  the  prince  for  some  time  led  a  very  secluded 
life,  shut  out  from  court  by  the  personal  dislike  of  Queen  Charlotte ; 
but  the  king  continued  to  show  her  unvaried  kindness,  until,  by  his 
insanity,  she  lost  her  best  and  almost  only  friend. 

9.  From  the  time  of  his  marriage,  the  prince  withdrew  himself 
almost  wholly  from  public  affairs,  until  they  were  forced  on  him  by 
his  being  made  regent  in  1810.     We  have  already  related  the  prin- 

5.  What  is  the  law  of  England  with  regard  to  the  marriage  of  members  of  the  royal 
family?  7.  What  of  the  prince's  habits  of  expenditure?  What  did  his  father  propose 
to  him  ?     8.  Wiiom  did  he  marry 'r     9.  What  of  the  state  of  public  feelings  after  the  close 


THE   CATO   STREET   CONSriRACY. 1820.  423 

cipal  events  which  happened  while  he  was  regent.  During  the  first 
half  of  this  period,  the  public  attention  was  absorbed  by  the  great 
conflict  going  on  upon  the  continent.  When  the  national  exulta- 
tion for  the  great  victory  of  Waterloo  had  subsided,  the  people 
began  to  feel  the  pressure  of  the  taxes  which  the  long  wars  had 
rendered  necessary. 

10.  The  English  manufiicturers  had  been  able  to  carry  on  their 
business  during  the  war,  and  with  great  success,  because  the  people 
of  the  continent,  being  directly  exposed  to  the  ravages  of  war,  had 
been  obliged  to  give  up  all  peaceful  occupations.  When  quiet  was 
restored  on  the  continent,  the  people  of  the  different  countries  were 
able  to  return  to  their  former  employments;  and  as  the  great  mass 
had  gained  very  much  in  intelligence  since  the  commencement  of 
the  French  Revolution,  they  were  better  able  to  compete  with  the 
skilful  mechanics  of  England. 

11.  In  consequence  of  this,  there  w^as  a  great  falling  off  in  the 
business  of  the  manufacturers,  and  much  distress  among  the  ^^  ork- 
people,  who  were  thrown  out  of  employment.  Discontents  pre- 
vailed, therefore,  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  In  1816,  a  plot  was 
formed  in  London  to  overthrow  the  government,  and  correspond- 
ence was  had  with  people  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  The 
government  adopted  prompt  measures.  The  habeas  corpus  act 
was  suspended,  many  persons  were  arrested,  and  two  or  three  tried 
and  executed. 

12.  Thus  the  spirit  of  discontent  was  stifled  for  a  time,  but  broke 
out  again  in  the  manufacturing  districts  in  1819.  In  August,  a 
mob  of  not  less  than  80,000  persons  collected  at  Manchester,  which 
is  the  chief  seat  of  the  cotton  manufactures.  The  troops  were 
called  out  to  disperse  it,  and  many  persons  were  killed  and 
wounded.  This  had  the  effect  of  quelling  the  tendency  to  riots 
for  the  time. 

13.  In  the  spring  of  the  following  year,  government  received 
information  that  certain  persons,  who  were  in  the  habit  of  meeting 
at  a  stable  in  Cato  street,  in  London,  had  formed  a  plot  to  destroy 
all  the  ministers,  and  had  appointed  the  next  day  for  its  execution, 
it  being  known  that  the  ministers  would  on  that  day  dine  together 
at  the  house  of  one  of  the  number.  The  conspirators  were  imme- 
diately arrested,  and,  their  guilt  being  proved,  were  executed. 

of  the  war?    10.  What  took  place  in  1810?     11.  What  in  1819?    12.  What  of  the  C»fc 
rtreet  conspiracy  ? 


424 


RETURN    OF    QUEEN    CAROLINE. — 1820. 


CHAPTEE  CCXVI. 

The  Queen  returns  to  England. — Received  vnfh  Enthusiasm  by  (he 
People. —  T fie  King  refuses  to  .acknoivledge  Jier  as.  Queen. — He  seeki 
to  deprive  her  0/  her  Eights  by  Law,  but  is  disappointed. 


THE  TRIAL  OF  QUEEN   CAKOMXE. 

1.  The  two  questions  which,  at  the  period  of  the  king's  acces- 
sion, were  looked  to  with  the  most  eagerness  by  the  public,  were, 
first,  whether  he  would  appoint  his  early  friends,  the  whigs,  to 
office ;  and  secondly,  what  his  conduct  would  be  towards  the  queen. 
Almost  all  his  personal  friends  were  of  the  whig  party,  and  yet, 
when  he  was  made  regent,  he  had  appointed  none  of  them  to  office. 

2.  It  was  thought  probable  that  he  might  have  been  prevented 
by  filial  respect  from  displacing  those  in  whom  his  father  had  con- 
fidence, and  that,  when  he  became  sovereign  in  his  own  right,  he 
would  appoint  those  to  office  wh6  would  act  in  accordance  with  the 
principles  which  he  had  himself  professed,  so  long  as  he  took  any 
active  part  in  politics.  All  those,  however,  who  looked  for  such  a 
course  on  his  part,  were  disappointed;  the  tory  ministers  kept  theii 
places. 

3.  The  affair  of  the  queen  was  not  so  speedily  settled.  This  un- 
fortunate princess  had  left  England  in  1814,  and  at  the  time  of 
George  III.'s  death  was  residing  in  Italy.  When  the  news  of  that 
event  reached  her,  she  immediately  resolved  to  return  to  England, 
and  assert  the  rights  of  her  station.  The  king,  whose  dislike  to  her, 
instead  of  being  softened  by  time  and  absence,  was  only  increased. 


CCXVI. — 1.  What  questions  were  agitated  at  George  IV.'s  accession  ?     2.  How  was 
the  fiFst  settled?    3.  What  of  the  second"     Relate  the  story  of  the  queen  till  her  arrival 


HER    RECEPTION    BY    THE    KING    AND    PEOPLE.  4^Z6 

did  all  in  his  power  to  prevail  on  her  to  remain  abroad,  and  oftered 
her  an  increase  of  income,  if  she  would  not  return  nor  assume  the 
title  of  queen. 

4.  This  offer  was  indignantly  rejected.  She  landed  at  Dover,  June 
6th,  1820.  She  was  met  at  her  landing  by  multitudes,  dressed  in 
their  holiday  clothes,  who  all  seemed  determined,  partly  out  of  sym- 
pathy for  her,  and  partly,  it  may  be,  to  show  their  dislike  to  the  king, 
to  make  up,  as  far  as  lay  in  their  power,  for  the  neglect  and  insults  he 
had  shown  her;  for  he  not  only  refused  to  receive  her  as  queen,  but 
had  even  ordered  that  she  should  not  be  prayed  for  in  the  churches. 

5.  At  every  place  to  which  she  came  in  her  journey  to  London,  the 
inhabitants  poured  out  to  meet  her.  As  she  approached  the  city,  the 
crowd  became  altogether  immense,  and  escorted  her  in  procession  to 
the  house  where,  for  the  time,  she  took  up  her  abode,  the  use  of  the 
palace,  usually  assigned  to  the  queen,  having  been  refused  her.  She 
now  became  an  object  of  general  interest  and  commiseration,  not 
only  to  the  populace,  but  also  to  many  very  wise  and  good  people 
in  the  higher  ranks,  who  took  her  part  from  real  feeling. 

6.  She  had  great  good-nature,  and  was  open  and  affable,  and  so 
devoid  of  pride  and  stateliness,  that  all  who  approached  her  were 
won  by  her  condescension.  The  multitude  saw  in  her  not  only  a 
princess  unjustly  deprived  of  the  rightful  privileges  of  her  rank,  but 
also  a  woman  unfairly  cast  off  by  her  husband,  and  w^hom  that  hus- 
band had  shown,  on  many  occasions,  a  cruel  desire  to  stigmatize,  in 
the  hope  of  finding  a  pretext  for  getting  rid  of  the  shackles  that 
still  bound  him  to  her. 

7.  They  would  not  suffer  themselves  to  believe  the  fact,  that  she 
had,  in  a  great  degree,  brought  this  treatment  on  herself.  Even  in 
the  commencement  of  her  married  life  she  had  used  no  gentle  means, 
none  of  those  soft  words  that  turn  away  anger,  to  win  the  prince's 
affections.  To  resent  her  injuries,  and  to  vindicate  her  rights,  had 
been  the  constant  tenor  of  all  her  subsequent  communications  to 
him.  Her  provocations  had,  indeed,  been  great,  but  her  conduct 
under  them  had  been  violent  and  unconciliating. 

8.  The  manner  in  which  the  queen  was  received  by  the  people 
only  tesfided  to  increase  the  king's  bitterness  against  her.  With  an 
eagerness  almost  malignant,  he  caught  at  various  rumors  of  her 
ill  conduct  while  abroad.  By  his  direction,  a  bill  was  brought  into 
parliament,  to  deprive  her  of  the  rights  and  title  of  queen,  and  to 
dissolve  the  marriage  between  her  and  himself. 

9.  An  investigation  was  made  as  to  her  conduct,  and  many  wit- 
nesses were  examined  both  for  and  against  her,  but  nothing  was 
proved,  except  that  she  had  indulged  in  an  improper  freedc  m  of 
manners.  The  bill  was,  therefore,  abandoned,  to  the  disgrace  of 
the  ministers  who  had  been  instrumental  in  bringing  it  forward, 
and  to  the  extreme  mortification  of  the  king,  thus  bafiled  in  the 
point  for  which  he  had  so  much  labored,  and  which  was  the  most 
earnest  wish  of  his  heart. 

in  London.  5,  6,  7.  How  was  she  received  and  o  isidered  in  England  ?  8.  What  did  the 
king  do?    9.  What  was  his  success? 

36* 


426  CORONATION    OF    GEOJIGE    IV. — 1821. 

CHAPTER  CCXVII. 

Coronation  of  George  IV. — The  Queen  dies  of  a  broker,  Heart. 

1.  George  IV.  was  very  fond  of  display,  and  he  determined  that 
ais  coronation  should  be  attended  with  unexampled  magnificence. 
The  ceremony  took  place  July  19th,  1821,  in  Westminster  Abbey, 
which,  as  well  as  the  adjoining  hall,  had  been  fitted  up  with  'the 
greatest  splendor.  As  soon  as  it  was  light  in  the  morning  of  that 
day,  all  the  avenues  to  the  Abbey  were  crowded  with  ladies  and 
gentlemen  in  full  dress,  who  were  hastening  to  take  their  places  in 
the  galleries  fitted  up  for  spectators. 

2.  At  six  o'clock  most  of  the  royal  family  had  arrived.  The 
king  himself  entered  the  Abbey  at  about  ten,  and  the  whole  cere- 
mony was  not  over  till  eight  io  the  evening.  The  coronation 
itself  was  followed  by  a  grand  banquet  in  the  hall.  When  the 
king  was  seated,  three  noblemen,  each  in  virtue  of  the  office  he 
held  in  the  king's  household,  rode  on  liorseback  into  the  hall,  and 
waited  there  while  the  pages  placed  the  dishes  on  the  royal  table. 

3.  They  then  retired,  backing  their  horses  out  of  the  hall — a 
piece  of  difficult  horsemanship,  but  which  their  well-trained 
chargers  performed  admirably.  The  spectators  were  scarcely  re- 
covered from  the  excitement  of  this  exhibition,  when  the  sound 
of  trumpets  gave  the  signal  of  a  new  approach  ;  and  a  horseman, 
clad  in  full  armor  like  the  knights  of  old,  rode  into  the  hall.  This 
was  the  king's  champion. 

4.  He  was  preceded  by  an  officer  called  a  herald,  arrayed  in  his 
tabard,  an  outer  garment  of  velvet,  upon  which  the  king's  arms  are 
richly  embroidered  in  gold.  In  old  times,  this  officer  was  one  of 
considerable  consequence,  but  his  chief  duties  at  present  are  to  keep 
the  records  of  the  genealogy  of  noble  families,  to  read  the  proclama- 
tions of  the  king,  and  to  bear  a  part  in  public  ceremonies,  such  as 
coronations,  royal  funerals,  &c. 

5.  The  duty  of  the  herald,  on  the  present  occasion,  was  to  read 
the  challenge  of  the  champion,  defying  to  single  combat  any  who 
dared  to  dispute  the  king's  title  to  the  throne.  The  champion  then 
threw  down  his  gauntlet,  or  iron  glove,  which  was  given  to  him 
again ;  and  this  ceremony  of  reading  the  challenge,  and  throwing 
down  the  gauntlet,  was  repeated  three  times. 

6.  If  any  person  had  been  disposed  to  dispute  the  king's  title,  he 
could  have  signified  his  acceptance  of  the  challenge,  by  taking  up 
the  gauntlet.  But  no  one  did  this  on  the  present  occasion :  so, 
having  drank  the  king's  health  from  a  gold  cup,  which  he  retained 
as  his  guerdon,  or  fee,  he  backed  his  horse  out  of  the  hall. 

7.  This  custom  had  its  origin  in  times  when  it  was  usual  to  submit 
the  decision  of  disputed  questions  to  trial  by  combat.  It  is  now  an 
unmeaning  ceremony,  and  has  been  dispensed  with  at  coronations 

CCXVII.— 1.  In  what  did  George  IV.  indulge  liis  taste  for  display  ?  Give  an  accounl 
Df  the  coronation.    3,4,5,6.  What  of  the  champion?     Wlio  delivered  the  challenge f 


DEATH    OF    QUEEN    CAROLINE. 1821.  427 

suice  that  of  George  IV.  Though  everything  about  him  was  as  mag- 
nificent as  his  heart  could  desire,  yet  tlie  king  must  have  been  far 
from  receiving  any  real  satisfaction  from  the  display. 

8.  In  the  first  place,  the  expenditure  of  the  enormous  sum  of 
nearly  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars  upon  a  mere  ceremony,  when 
the  people  were  loaded  with  taxes,  and  in  many  parts  of  the  king- 
dom were  actually  suffering  for  want  of  food",  gave  rise  to  loud 
complaints.  But  the  king's  greatest  vexation  was  occasioned  by 
the  queen.  She  had  demanded  to  be  crowned  at  the  same  time 
with  himself ;  but  this  was  refused,  as  was  also  her  demand  to  be 
present  on  that  occasion. 

9.  She  declared  that  she  would  be  there  in  spite  of  this  refusal. 
It  was  generally  supposed  that  this  was  a  mere  threat,  and  that  she 
would  not  so  far  forget  her  dignity  as  to  force  herself  into  the  king's 
presence  at  such  a  time,  and  in  such  a  place.  Yet  this  was  her  real 
determination  ;  and,  on  the  morning  of  the  coronation,  she  went  to 
the  Abbey  at  an  early  hour,  and  demanded  to  be  allowed  to  enter; 
but  being  refused  admittance  at  all  the  avenues,  she  was  obliged  to 
retire. 

10.  Upon  this,  her  partisans  set  up  loud  and  discordant  cries, 
which  were  heard  by  those  in  the  Abbey,  and  caused  an  alarm  lest 
the  ceremony  should  be  interrupted  by  some  popular  outrage ;  but 
the  populace  contented  themselves  with  breaking  some  of  the  min- 
isters' windows.  The  poor  queen  returned  in  sadness  to  her  residence. 
This  last  mortification  had  broken  her  heart.  Her  health  declined 
from  that  day,  and  she  died  on  the  7th  of  August. 

11.  She  left  directions  that  her  body  should  be  taken  to  Bruns- 
wick, in  Germany,  for  interment,  and  that  the  inscription  on  her 
coffin  should  be — "  Here  lies  Caroline  of  Brunswick,  the  injured 
Queen  of  England."  The  animosity  of  the  king  was  not  appeased 
by  the  death  of  his  victim.  Her  body,  instead  of  being  treated  with 
the  honors  appropriate  to  her  rank,  was  subjected  to  insult. 

12.  The  procession,  which  attended  it  on  the  way  to  Harwich, 
where  it  was  to  be  embarked  for  the  continent,  was  ordered  not  to 
pass  through  the  city  of  London.  But  the  populace  were  resolved 
that  it  should  pass  through  the  city,  and  at  last,  by  tearing  up  the 
pavements,  placing  trees  across  the  roads,  and  otherwise  obstructing 
them,  and  after  a  series  of  conflicts,  in  which  two  persons  lost  their 
lives,  they  effected  their  purpose.  Thus  was  this  most  solemn  of 
spectacles  turned  into  a  scene  of  uproar;  and  it  seemed  as  if  even 
death  could  not  give  peace  to  the  unconscious  remains  of  this  un- 
fortunate woman. 


VVliat  of  heralds?    8.  What  impaired  the  king's  satisfaction  ?    9.  Relate  the  remaining 
events  of  the  queen's  life.    12    Wliat  happened  at  her  funeral  ? 


428  THE    KING    VISITS    IKELAND    AND   SCOTLAND. 


CHAPTEE  CCXVIII.   ^^  Ju^,^  ^'^'^ 

The  King  visits  Ireland  and  Scotland. — Bescription  of  a  Hi^hkinder'A     'tj-^ 

Dress.  •  ^ 

1.  The  king  did  not  display  the  hypocrisy  of  grieving  at  an  event 
which  removed  a  thorn  that  had  long  festered  in  his  heart.  He  did 
not  even  regard  the  common  requisitions  of  decorum  ;  and,  while  the 
queen  lay  yet  unburied,  he  set  off  for  Dublin,  the  chief  city  of  Ire- 
land, where  he  was  received  by  the  lively  inhabitants  with  a  glow 
of  joy,  which  must  have  been  quite  grateful  to  him  after  the  unpopu- 
larity to  which  he  had  been  accustomed  at  home. 

2.  *  After  spending  a  month  in  Ireland,  he  returned  to  England,  and 
on  the  20th  of  September  he  embarked  for  Hanover.  Here  the  cere- 
mony of  coronation,  as  King  of  Hanover,  was  performed,  amidst  the 
most  brilliant  festivals.  The  next  year  he  visited  Scotland.  Here, 
too,  nothing  could  exceed  the  apparent  joyousness  of  his  reception. 
No  king  had  visited  Scotland  since  Charles  II. 's  unhappy  sojourn 
there  in  1650 ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  Scots  were  trying  to  make 
amends  to  George  IV.  for  the  mortifications  his  predecessor  had  un- 
dergone. 

3.  The  king  himself,  also,  by  the  grace  and  graciousness  of  his 
manners,  and  his  evident  solicitude  to  please,  showed  himself  desirous 
to  win  the  good  will  of  his  subjects,  flattering,  on  all  occasions,  the 
self-love  of  the  people  he  visited,  by  adopting  some  of  their  national 
and  popular  customs.  In  Ireland,  he  drank  healths  in  Irish  whiskey  ; 
at  Hanover,  he  spoke  German ;  and  in  Edinburgh,  he  appeared  in 
the  full  costume  of  a  Highland  chief,  wearing  the  Stuart  tartan,  or 
plaid. 

4.  Each  of  the  principal  clans,  or  families,  in  Scotland,  was  dis- 
tinguished by  the  color  and  arrangement  of  the  stripes  in  the  tartan, 
and  until  the  rising  in  1745,  there  had  been  little  change  in  the 
fashion  of  a  Highlander's  dress  since  the  time  of  the  Roman  inva- 
sion of  the  island.  In  1745,  one  of  the  expedients  adopted  by 
government  to  break  up  the  attachment  of  the  clansmen  to  their 
chief,  was  that  of  forbidding  them  to  wear  their  ancient  dress. 

5.  Though  well  suited  to  the  habits  of  the  Highlanders  as  they 
were  then,  it  was  ill  adapted  to  agricultural  and  other  peaceful  pur- 
suits which  the  government  hoped  to  introduce.  They  wore  no 
breeches,  but  a  short  petticoat  of  striped  woollen  cloth,  called  tartan, 
reaching  from  the  waist  to  the  knee;  this  was  the  philibeg ;  their 
stockings,  generally  of  the  same  tartan,  were  usually  gartered  be- 
low the  knee,  which  was  left  bare  to  allow  more  freedom  in  run- 


CCXVin.— 1.  What  of  the  conduct  of  the  king  after  the  queen's  death  ?  What  excur- 
«ou  did  he  set  out  iijjon  ?  How  received  in  Ireland?  2.  What  other  visits  did  lie  make' 
3.  How  did  the  king  seek  to  gain  popularity?  In  what  dress  did  he  appear  in  Scotland  i 
5.  Describe  t'le  dress  of  a  Hisrlilander. 


I 


PROJECTS   AND   SPECULATIONS. — 1824.  42S 

6.  The  body  was  clothed  in  a  short  close  jacket,  and  over  this 
was  thrown,  in  graceful  folds,  a  roll  of  light  tartan,  called  the  plaid, 
which  generally  was  six  yards  in  length,  and  two  in  breadth,  and 
coming  closely  round  the  right  side,  was  usually  fastened  on  and 
thrown  back  over  the  left  shoulder,  leaving  the  right  arm  at  per- 
fect liberty.  The  weaving,  dyeing,  and  preparing  the  tartan  stuffs 
formed  the  principal  employment  of  the  females  of  each  clan. 

7.  On  the  head  was  worn  a  dark-blue  bonnet,  made  of  light 
woollen  cloth,  in  which  a  sprig  of  heather  was  often  placed ;  or  an 
eagle's  feather,  if  the  wearer  were  a  gentleman  of  rank ;  or  two 
feathers,  if  he  were  a  chief.  In  front  of  the  philibeg,  was  the 
sporran,  or  purse,  by  the  right  side  of  which  hung  the  dirk.  On 
the  other  side  was  the  daijmore,  a  basket-hilted  broad-sword. 

8.  Imagine  an  iron  musket  slung  to  the  back,  and  a  round  target, 
or  shield,  covered  with  tough  hide,  and  having  a  long  iron  spike  firmly 
screwed  into  the  centre,  on  the  left  arm,  and  you  have  a  Highlander 
in  complete  costume.  As  the  occasion  of  his  visit  was  peaceful, 
George  IV.  omitted  the  warlike  part  of  the  equipment.  The  rage 
for  the  tartan  spread  through  the  kingdom;  and  the  brilliant  colors 
and  stripes  of  the  Stuart,  imitated  in  silks  and  velvets,  figured  on 
the  backs  of  good  London  dames,  who  would  have  trembled  at  the 
bare  idea  of  meeting  a  real  living  Highlander. 


CHAPTEE  CCXIX. 

A  Year  of  Projects  results  in  much  Distress. — The  Coinage  of  England. 

1.  The  year  1824  was  a  year  of  projects  and  speculations,  some 
of  which  might  remind  us  of  the  philosophers  of  Laputa  in  Gulli- 
ver's Travels.  There  were  companies  for  supplying  London  with 
milk  and  with  fish,  and  others  for  washing  all  the  dirty  clothes  of 
the  city.  There  was  an  association  for  cutting  a  canal  through  the 
Isthmus  of  Darien,  and  projects  for  railroads  without  number. 
The  greater  portion  of  these  schemes  came  to  nothing,  and  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  1825  was  marked  by  disappointed  specula- 
tions and  general-  distress. 

2.  The  Bank  of  England  itself  was  on  the  very  point  of  suspend- 
ing its  payments,  and  was  reduced  almost  to  its  last  sovereign,  as  the 
gold  coin  of  the  value  of  a  pound  sterling  is  called,  and  which  has 
taken  the  place  of  the  "golden  guinea,"  of  which  we  so  often  read; 
a  coin,  by  the  way,  no  longer  in  circulation.  When  Csesar  landed 
in  the  island,  bits  of  brass  and  iron,  and  iron  rings  of  a  fixed 
weight,  were  the  only  money  used  by  the  Britons. 

3.  Within  a  century  from  this  time,  money,  in  imitation  of  that  of 
the  Romans,  was  coined  there.    The  coins  of  Cunobeline,  a  British 

CCXIX. — 1.  For  what  was  th©  year  1824  distinguished  ?     2.  W^jat  was  used  for  monej 


430  THE   COINAGE   OP^    ENGLAND. 

king,  who  was  contemporary  with  the  Roman  emperor  Tiberius, 
and  who  died  A.  d.  37,  are  to  be  found  in  some  collections;  but 
they  are  so  rare  and  valuable,  that  no  collector  has  yet  been  disin- 
terested enough  to  sacrifice  one  of  them  for  the  sake  of  ascertaining 
the  proportion  of  silver  or  of  alloy  which  they  contain. 

4.  Alloy  is  a  certain  quantity  of  some  harder  and  baser  metal, 
which  must  be  mixed  with  gold  and  silver,  to  give  the  coin  suffi- 
cient firmness  to  take  a  strong  impression,  and  to  resist  the  wear  of 
circulation;  gold  and  silver  being  of  too  soft  a  nature.  It  is  also 
found  necessary  that  the  coin  should  be  of  somewhat  less  than  its 
nominal  value,  to  prevent  its  being  melted  down  and  sold  as 
bullion,  whenever  bullion,  from  any  cause,  is  much  in  demand. 

5.  Bullion  is  the  general  name  for  the  precious  metals,  that  is, 
for  gold  and  silver.  The  first  money  that  can  properly  be  called 
English  was  coined  in  the  seventh  century,  by  Ethelbert,  King  of 
Kent.  It  was  called  a  penny,  from  the  Latin  word  pendo,  which 
signifies  io  weigh,  and  contained  as  much  silver  as  equalled  twenty 
grains  of  wheat,  taken  from  the  middle  of  the  ear ;  and  this  is  the 
origin  of  the  weight  called  a  grain,  which  is  neither  more  nor  less 
than  a  grain  of  wheat. 

6.  The  coins  of  Ethelbert  were  marked  with  a  cross,  as  a  symbol 
of  Christianity ;  a  practice  which  was  continued  till  the  time  of  the 
Commonwealth,  when  it  was  left  off.  In  imitation  of  the  Romans, 
the  superscription  on  the  coins  was  in  Latin.  This  practice  also 
was  left  ofi' during  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth,  but  was  resumed 
at  the  restoration.  The  Anglo-Saxons  divided  the  silver  penny  into 
half-pence,  and  fourthings,  or  farthings. 

7.  The  nominal  money  of  the  Anglo-Saxons  was  the  pound,  com- 
puted at  240  pence,  the  mark,  at  100  pence,  and  the  shilling,  at 
three  pence.  It  is  hard  to  say  what  the  value  of  the  penny  was, 
compared  with  money  at  the'  present  time.  Two  pennies  and  a 
fourthing  would,  in  the  time  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  buy  a  bushel 
of  wheat,  which,  at  the  present  day,  costs  nearly  two  dollars.  '  The 
silver  penny  continued  to  be  the  principal  currency  for  some  time 
after  the  Conquest. 

8.  Henry  III.  introduced  groats,  or  great  pennies,  worth  four 
pence  each.  He  also  coined  the  first  English  gold  money  of  which 
we  have  any  authentic  account.  It  was  called  the  gold  penny,  and 
was  valued  at  twenty  silver  pennies.  It  was  afterwards  raised  to 
twenty-four  pence,  and  was  called  a  ryal,  that  is,  royal.  The 
people  did  not  fancy  this  gold  money,  and  it  did  not  long  continue 
in  circulation. 

9.  Gold  coin  was  at  this  time  very  rare  all  over  Europe,  except 
what  was  coined  by  the  Greek  emperors  at  Constantinople,  or  Byzan- 
tium, as  it  was  then  called,  and  hence  called  Bezants,  or  Byzantine 
money.  Afterwards  a  gold  coin,  called  ajlorin,  from  the  Latin  word 
Jlos,  flower,  because  it  had  a  lily  stamped  on  it,  came  into  use  on  the 

in  Britain  when  Csesar  landed  there?  3.  What  coin  was  used  next?  4.  What  is  alloy! 
5.  What  is  bullion?  Whence  the  name  penny  ?  Whence  the  name  grain?  Whence  the 
name  farthing?  7.  What  wa--  the  nominal  money  of  the  Anglo-Saxons?  8.  What  coins 
did  Henry  III.  introduce ?     9.  What  of  gold  coins?     Whence  the  name  florin  ?     \\  hencs 


7 

THE    COINAGE   OP    ENfctLAND.  43J 

continent;  and  Edward  III.  coined,  in  imitation  of  it,  o-florence,  so 
called  because  an  artificer  from  the  city  of  Florence,  in  Italy,  was 
employed  in  the  coinage. 

10.  In  1346,  he  coined  a  gold  piece  called  a  noble,  in  commemora- 
tion, as  is  supposed,  of  a  naval  victory  he  gained  over  the  French. 
On  one  side  is  represented  the  king  standing  in  a  ship.  The  work- 
manship of  this  coin  is  very  neat,  and  gold  nobles  are  now  much 
esteemed  by  collectors  for  their  beauty  and  their  rarity.  Henry  VII. 
issued  a  gold  coin  called  an  angel,  because  it  bore  on  one  side  the 
figure  of  an  angel  killing  a  dragon.  The  angel  was  calculated  at 
eight  shillings. 

11.  Henry  VIII.  issued  a  magnificent  gold  coin  called  a  sovereign; 
having  on  one  side  a  full  length  figure  of  the  king  seated  on  his 
throne,  and  on  the  other  a  double  rose,  for  the  houses  of  York  and 
Lancaster.  Henry  VIII.'s  coins  were  as  large  in  proportion  as  his 
sleeves  or  his  sho^ ;  but  they  diminished  in  value,  though  they  in- 
creased in  size;  for  he  increased  very  much  the  quantity  of  alloy, 
and  then  required  his  subjects  to  take  the  debased  coin  at  the  value 
of  pure  coin. 

12.  The  coin  continued  debased  till  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  though 
its  quality  was  a  little  improved  after  Mary's  marriage,  benefited,  as 
it  is  said,  by  the  twenty-seven  chests  of  silver  from  the  New  World, 
which  Philip  carried  with  him  to  England.  Elizabeth  called  in  all 
the  base  coin,  and  replaced  it  with  good  money  at  the  public  cost. 
This  measure  is  said  to  have  been  advised  by  Burleigh,  who  said, 
**that  a  monarchy  was  only  to  be  sustained  by  sound  and  solid 
courses." 


CHAPTEE    CCXX. 

The  Coinage  of  England — continued. 

1.  The  coinage  of  Charles  I.  presents  a  greater  variety  than  that 
of  any  other  English  sovereign,  and  a  review  of  it  may  almost  show 
us  the  changes  of  his  fortune.  In  the  early  part  of  his  reign,  his 
coins  were  very  beautiful,  and  his  taste  and  skill  in  the  fine  arts 
may  be  observed  in  their  designs.  As  his  troubles  increased,  both 
the  design  and  execution  of  his  coins  were  less  attended  to,  and  many 
of  those  of  the  latter  part  of  his  reign  are  little  more  than  pieces  of 
silver  cut  to  the  proper  weight,  and  stamped  with  some  rude  mark. 

2.  On  some  of  these  coins  is  still  to  be  seen  the  pattern  of  the  cup 
and  salver  from  which  they  were  hastily  cut.  This  money  is  called 
"siege  money,"  and  "necessity  money."  There  is  some  money  of 
James  II.  which  shows  still  stronger  indications  of  a  distressed  fortune. 

that  of  florence  ?  10.  What  coin  did  Henry  VII.  issua  ?  11.  What  coin  did  Henry  VIII 
have  executed  ?  12.  What  of  the  value  of  his  coin  ?  What  did  Elizabeth  do  in  regard  to 
eoin? 


432  THE   COINAGE   OF    ENGLAND. 

This  money  was  coined  in  Ireland,  not  long  before  the  battle  of  the 
Boyne.  It  was  of  copper,  and  was  made  to  pass  for  shillings,  al- 
though each  piece  was  not  really  worth  more  than  a  half-penny. 

3.  This  money  is  called  "gun  money,"  because  it  was  chiefly 
coined  from  old  guns.  It  is  said  that,  these  failing,  the  kitchens  of 
Dublin  were  also  made  to  contribute,  and  that  many  a  cook  was 
robbed  of  her  saucepans  for  the  royal  mint,  which  is  the  name  given 
to  the  establishment  for  coining.  It  is  to  be  remarked  to  Charles' 
credit,  that  he  never,  in  his  greatest  distress,  resorted  to  the  expe- 
dient of  debasing  the  coin. 

4.  The  coins  of  the  Commonwealth  are  remarkable  for  their 
clumsiness  and  want  of  taste.  In  spite  of  their  ugliness,  they  are, 
however,  valued  for  their  rarity,  having  been  called  in  at  the  resto- 
ration. Cromwell  struck  a  very  fine  coinage  with  his  own  head 
upon  it;  but  this,  we  believe,  was  never  circulated.  Charles  II. 
made  a  great  alteration  in  the  coinage,  and  the  figure  of  Britannia, 
borne  by  the  copper  half-pennies,  is  said  to  be  a  representation  of  a 
court  beauty,  the  Duchess  of  Richmond. 

5.  The  guinea  made  its  first  appearance  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II. 
It  was  so  called  because  the  gold  which  furnished  the  first  coinage 
was  principally  brought  from  the  coast  of  Guinea,  in  Africa.  It 
might  have  been  in  allusion  to  this,  that  it  bears  the  figure  of  an 
elephant  on  one  side.  It  was  originally  worth  twenty  shillings,  but 
in  1728  it  was  raised  to  the  value  of  twenty-one  shillings. 

6.  The  coinage  of  the  last  century  was  ill  executed,  the  impres- 
sions soon  wore  away,  and  the  shillings  and  sixpences  were  little 
better  than  flat  bits  of  silver.  The  copper  coin,  too,  was  very  bad, 
and  not  bad  only,  but  very  scarce ;  and  many  trades-people  issued, 
for  their  own  convenience,  both  silver  and  copper  tokens,  which 
were  by  far  the  best-looking  money  in  circulation.  In  1797,  a  new 
copper  coinage  appeared ;  but  many  of  these  were  soon  melted  down 
for  the  sake  of  the  copper,  which  rose  to  a  very  high  price. 

7.  This  was  the  year  in  which  the  Bank  of  England  stopped  pay- 
ments in  coin,  and  issued  one-pound  or  twenty-shilling  notes.  As 
there  was  no  longer  any  demand  for  gold  coins  to  circulate,  they 
soon  disappeared,  and  such  a  thing  was  rarely  seen,  except  a  stray 
guinea  here  and  there.  They  were  melted  down  and  sent  out  of 
the  country,  or  put  away  safely  at  home  by  those  good,  careful 
people,  who  feared  an  invasion  by  the  French,  that  they  might 
have  a  store  against  time  of  need. 

8.  The  bank  notes  had  not,  in  themselves,  any  value,  as  gold  and 
silver  have ;  at  least,  no  more  value  than  any  other  pieces  of  paper 
of  the  same  size ;  their  value  was  derived  from  the  confidence  which 
the  people  had  that  they  would  some  day  be  redeemed  with  gold  or 
silver.  If  the  bank  had  been  liable  to  pay  gold  or  silver  for  them 
as  soon  as  they  were  issued,  then  of  course  but  a  limited  amount  could 


CCXX.— 1.  What  of  the  coinage  of  Charles  I.?  3.  What  is  gun  money?  4.  What 
of  tlie  Commonwealth's  coin?  What  of  Charles  II.'s?  5.  Whence  the  name  guinea? 
0.  What  of  the  coins  of  the  last  century?  8.  What  of  bank  notes  ?  9.  What  is  the  value 
»r  a  sovereign  ? 


THE    PRINCESS   CHARLOTTE.  433 

have  been  circulated,  dependent  upon  the  quantity  of  gold  and 
silver  it  possessed. 

9.  The  notes  in  such  case  would  always  be  worth  as  much  as  they 
purported  to  be;  but  when  this  restriction  was  removed,  the  notes 
were  issued  in  excess,  and  lowered  in  value,  so  that  at  one  time  a 
guinea  in  gold  was  worth  twenty-eight  shillings  in  paper.  In  1817, 
the  currency  (a  general  name  for  that  which  is  current,  or  circulates 
as  money*)  was  again  restored  to  a  sound  state ;  although  the  bank 
did  not  resume  payment  till  some  time  afterwards.  The  guineas 
were  called  in,  and  sovereigns  issued.  This  coin  is  worth  twenty 
shillings,  or,  in  our  money,  four  dollars  and  eighty  cents. 


CHAPTER  CCXXI. 

The  Princess  Charlotte  marries  Leopold  of  Saxe-  Cohurg. — Her  Death. 
— Lord  Liverpool. —  Catholic  Emancipation  and  Reform. 

1.  The  king  had  one  daughter,  born  to  him  in  1796,  who  is 
known  in  history  as  the  Princess  Charlotte.  Immediately  after  the 
allied  armies  had  replaced  Louis  on  the  throne  of  France,  in  1814, 
the  Emperor  of  Eussia  and  the  King  of  Prussia,  with  the  most  dis- 
tinguished officers  and  generals  who  had  served  in  the  war,  and 
attended  by  a  host  of  young  princes,  who  had  little  of  worldly  pos- . 
sessions,  besides  the  uniforms  upon  their  backs,  visited  England. 
To  these  the  young  heiress  of  the  British  empire  could  not  fail  to 
be  an  object  of  admiration. 

2.  One  among  them  attracted  the  attention  of  the  princess  by  the 
elegance  of  his  person  and  the  grace  of  his  manners.  Leopold,  a 
younger  son  of  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg,  a  German  prince,  whose 
dominions  contained  about  as  many  inhabitants  as  a  good-sized 
city,  having  offered  his  services  to  Napoleon,  which  were  declined, 
had  attached  himself  to  the  Emperor  Alexander  of  Russia,  in  whose 
suite  he  now  visited  England.  He  did  not  reject  the  proffered  love 
of  the  princess,  and  although  his  rank  by  birth  was  not  so  high  as 
to  lead  him  to  aspire  to  this  honor,  neither  was  it  so  low  as  to  cause 
any  objection  on  her  father's  part. 

3.  The  princess  was  restricted,  in  the  choice  of  a  husband,  to  a 
very  narrow  circle.  State  policy  would  not  allow  her  to  marry  a 
subject  of  England ;  and  a  law  made  at  the  revolution  forbade  her 
marrying  any  person  who  was  not  of  the  Protestant  faith  in  re- 
ligion. Now  this  is  professed  only  in  Denmark,  Norway,  and 
Sweden,  and  some  of  the  German  states,  of  which  number  Saxe- 
Coburg  happens  to  be  one.  The  princess  was  married  in  1816 : 
but  she  enjoyed  only  a  short  period  of  domestic  happiness,  for  she 
died  in  1817,  leaving  no  child. 

CCXXI.— 1.  Had  George  TV.  any  children?     Whom  did  the  Princess  Charlotte  marry? 
.37 


434  CATHOLIC    EMAN(Jll»ATION  —REFORM. 1828. 

4.  Though  Leopold  was  disappointed  iu  his  hopes  of  beiug  hi  Lsbami 
of  the  Queen  of  England,  he  was  yet  born  to  be  a  king ;  for,  after 
declining  the  crown  of  the  new  kingdom  of  Greece,  which  was  offered 
him  in  1828,  he  accepted  that  of  Belgium,  another  new  kingdom, 
formed  from  a  part  of  Holland,  in  1830,  and  not  long  after,  he  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  the  King  of  the  French.  But  Leopold's  connec- 
tion with  the  royal  family  of  England  was  kept  up  by  the  marriage 
of  his  sister  to  the  Duke  of  Kent,  fourth  son  of  George  III. 

5.  After  the  death  of  the  Princess  Charlotte,  the  Duke  of  York, 
Siocond  son  of  George  III.,  became  the  heir  presumptive  to  the 
throne.  Mark  the  distinction  between  heir  apparent  and  heir  pre- 
sumptive. The  king's  eldest  son  is  an  heir  apparent,  because  nothing 
but  his  own  death  before  that  of  his  father  can  deprive  him  of  the 
succession  to  the  crown ;  but  if  there  be  no  son,  some  other  relation 
of  the  king  is  heir  to  the  crown.  Such  person  is  called  the  heir  pre- 
sumptive, because  his  right  may  be  defeated  by  the  birth  of  a  son. 

6.  The  Duke  of  York  died  in  1827,  leaving  no  children,  and 
William,  Duke  of  Clarence,  became  heir  presumptive  to  the  crown. 
The  king  had  always  been  fond  of  the  Duke  of  York,  and  his  death 
was  a  severe  blow.  It  was  followed  by  another,  in  the  illness  of  the 
Earl  of  Liverpool,  who  had  been  prime  minister  ever  since  the 
murder  of  Mr.  Percival,  in  1812.  Though  not  a  man  of  genius,  he 
was  laborious  and  persevering,  and  his  integrity  of  character  gave 
him  great  influence. 

7.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Canning,  who  died  in  a  few  months, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Lord  Goderich,  who  was  superseded,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1828,  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  Two  great  questions 
agitated  the  public  mind  at  this  time,  commonly  called  the  ques- 
tions of  Catholic  Emancipatian  and  of  Beform.  In  the  reigns  of 
Elizabeth  and  James  I.,  very  severe  laws  had  been  passed  against 
the  Catholics,  and  these  had  been  followed  by  others  of  the  same 
character  in  the  subsequent  reigns,  in  apprehension  of  a  popish 
successor  to  the  crown. 

8.  The  actual  penalties  inflicted  by  these  laws  had  been  repealed, 
but  the  disabilities  for  holding  a  seat  in  either  house  of  parliament, 
and  to  admission  to  various  offices,  still  remained.  These  were  felt 
to  be  a  very  great  grievance,  especially  in  Ireland,  where  the  Catho- 
lics fai  outnumbered  the  Protestants.  At  the  union  with  Ireland 
in  1800,  Mr.  Pitt  had  promised  the  removal  of  these  disabilities ; 
but  George  III.  would  never  consent  to  the  measure. 

9.  The  country  was  kept  in  a  state  of  continual  excitement  by 
this  question,  and  the  contests  between  the  friends  and  opponents 
of  this  measure  were  carried  on  with  the  greatest  asperity.  Th(> 
bill  for  the  repeal  Was  repeatedly  passed  by  the  house  of  commons, 
and  as  often  rejected  by  the  lords,  chiefly  through  the  influence  of 
the  bishops  of  the  church  of  England,  who,  by  law,  have  seats  and 
votes  in  that  house. 

What  of  Leopold?  5.  W^hat  is  the  difference  betweeu  heir  apparent  and  heir  presump- 
tive? 6.  What  of  Lord  Liverpool  ?  7.  What  questions  agitated  England  ?  What  of  the 
laws  against  Catholics  ?  9.  What  of  the  contest  about  Catholic  emancipation  ?  10.  What 
was  the  final  result? 


riiE  hot.se  of  commons.  485 

10.  At  last  the  popular  will  became  too  strong  to  be  despised,  and 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  taking  the  matter  up  as  a  government 
measure,  procured  the  passage  of  the  bill  through  both  houses.  But 
it  was  not  yet  the  law  of  the  land,  because,  by  the  British  constitu- 
tion, no  bill,  though  passed  by  both  houses  of  parliament,  is  a  law, 
unless  it  be  approved  by  the  king.  The  king's  assent  in  the  present 
case  was  given  April  13th,  1829. 


CHAPTER  CCXXII. 

Reform  in  the  House  of  Commons. — History  of  this  Body. 

1.  In  the  earliest  times  of  English  history  of  which  we  have  any 
record,  there  were  assemblies  of  the  people  to  deliberate  on  matters 
of  national  interest ;  but  it  was  not  till  about  1266  that  the  people 
were  summoned  by  the  king  to  appear  by  representatives  in  the 
great  council  of  the  nation.  The  king  had  a  twofold  object  in  view; 
he  wished  to  raise  up  a  pow^r  which  should  counterbalance  the 
power  of  the  great  barons;  and  he  also  wished  to  obtain  supplies 
of  money  from  the  growing  wealth  of  the  people. 

2.  There  were  three  classes  to  be  represented  in  this  branch  of 
the  legislature.  First,  the  large  body  of  lesser  barons,  who  held 
land  of  the  king,  by  knight  service,  that  is,  upon  condition  of  serv- 
ing him  in  the  field  in  time  of  war.  These  w^ere  too  numerous  and 
too  poor  to  be  all  called  to  parliament  and  to  rank  with  the  great 
barons.  They  were  therefore  summoned  to  appear  by  two  repres.en- 
tatives  from  each  county,  or  shire.  The  representatives  of  counties 
retain  the  appellation  of  knights  of  the  shire  to  this  day,  though  now 
chosen  without  reference  to  this  qualification. 

3.  In  those  days  of  timid  navigation,  the  sea-ports  nearest  to  the 
continent  were  deemed  of  great  importance  for  the  defence  of  "the 
kingdom.  Of  the  principal  ports  there  were  five,  hence  called  cinque 
ports — cinque  being  the  French  for  five.  These  were  bound  to  fur- 
nish fifty-seven  vessels,  each  manned  with  twenty-one  sailors.  It  is 
curious  to  contrast  these  ships  of  war  with  the  mighty  fabrics 
manned  with  1000  men  each,  which  now  defend  these  coasts ! 

4.  So  important  was  this  service  deemed  at  that  time,  that  the 
citizens  held  the  rank  of  barons,  and  had  two  representatives  in 
parliament,  still  called  barons  of  the  cinque  ports.  Lastly,  there 
were  the  towns,  or  boroughs,  inhabited  by  the  merchants  and  traders, 
who  governed  themselves  by  virtue  of  charters  of  the  king,  and 
were  not  subject  to  any  great  baron.     The  king  summoned  such  of 

CCXXII,— 1.  What  of  assemblies  of  the  people  in  old  times?  When  were  commons 
summoned  to  send  representatives?  2.  What  three  classes  were  to  be  represented? 
What    of   the    knights?      4.  What  of   the   cinque  ports?     5.  What  of   the   boroughs^ 


486  THE    ROTTEN    BOROUGH    SYSTEM. 

these  as  Le  pleased  to  send  representatives,  but  he  would  iiaturalh 
select  the  most  important. 

5.  The  people  of  a  borough  are  called  burgesses,  a  name  yet  re- 
tained by  this  class  of  representatives  in  parliament.  The  house  oi 
commons  possessed  but  little  intiuence  at  that  time,  and  it  was  ver} 
ex^^ensive  living  at  London,  and  not  a  little  dangerous  to  travel 
through  the  country,  so  that  it  was  considered  a  great  hardship  to 
serve  as  a  member.  Besides,  the  summons  was  a  sure  prelude  to  a 
demand  for  money. 

G.  But  when  the  house  of  commons  became  of  consequence  as  a 
check  upon  the  power  of  the  king,  it  was  necessary  to  restrict  him 
in  the  r^-^t  which  he  had  at  first  enjoyed  of  summoning  such  places 
as  he  ''^'^ased,  and  to  require  him  to  issue  summonses  to  all  which 
had  usually  been  summoned,  and  to  no  others.  In  the  course  oi 
ages,  great  changes  took  place  in  the  relative  importance  of  places, 
and  strange  anomalies  were  the  consequence. 

7.  The  great  city  of  Manchester  had  no  representative  in  parlia- 
ment, whilst  perhaps  a  barren  common,  where  the  form  of  an  elec- 
tion must  be  gone  through  with  under  a  tree,  because  there  was  no 
house  within  the  limits  of  the  borough,  gave  its  owner  a  right  to 
send  two.  The  right  had  originally  been  given  to  a  certain  extent 
of  territory,  chartered  as  a  borough,  and  at  the  time  populous;  but 
by  a  change  in  the  course  of  trade,  or  some  other  cause,  it  had  since 
been  deserted  by  its  inhabitants,  but  it  still  retained  its  right  to  send 
representatives. 

8.  In  rude  times,  the  manufactures  of  iron,  tin,  &c.  had  made 
Cornwall  comparatively  very  rich;  hence  it  contained  within  its 
limits  a  great  number  of  boroughs ;  but  commerce,  and  the  rise  of 
more  important  branches  of  manufacture,  had  rendered  this  district 
very  poor  as  compared  with  others.  These  poor  boroughs,  commonly 
known  as  rotten  boroughs,  were,  for  the  most  part,  owned  by  rich 
noblemen  who  appointed  the  representatives. 

9.  These  rotten  boroughs,  that  is,  the  right  to  appoint  members  of 
the  house  of  commons,  were  bought  and  sold  just  like  any  other 
piece  of  property.  Thus  the  house  of  commorw,  instead  of  being, 
as  it  purported  to  be,  a  representation  of  the  great  body  of  the  peo- 
ple, was,  to  a  certain  extent  at  least,  a  representation  of  the  aristoc- 
racy, the  very  body  whose  power  it  was  designed  to  check.  It  had 
long  been  the  leading  object  with  the  liberal  or  whig  party  to  bring 
about  a  reform  in  this  matter. 

10.  The  friends  of  the  measure  had  to  contend  in  th^  .loase  Oi 
commons  against  those  who  would  lose  their  soats,  and  in  the  house 
of  lords  against  those  who  would  lose  their  property  by  the  proposed 
change,  which  was  to  transfer  the  right  of  sending  representatives 
from  the  rotten  boroughs  to  those  towns  which  were  now  not  repre- 
sented at  all,  or  very  inadequately  in  proportion  to  their  popula- 
tion and  wealth. 


6.  By  what  means  did  representation  become  unequal?  7,  8.  What  instances  of  ine- 
qualitj'?  Wliat  of  the  rotten  boroughs?  10.  With  whom  had  the  friends  of  reform  U 
contend  ? 


CHANGE   IN   THE   HABITS    OF   GEOxlGE    IV. 


437 


11.  This  had  been  the  great  question  in  dispute  betweeL  vhe  two 
parties  for  more  th  an  half  a  century.  The  clamors  of  the  people  for 
a  reform  had  been  growing  louder  and  louder,  and  the  efforts  of  its 
friends  in  parliament  more  constant  and  vigorous.  It  had  now  be- 
come evident  that  a  reform  must  be  made,  but  it  did  not  take  pla.ce 
during  the  reign  of  George  IV. 


CHAPTER  CCXXIIL 

Great  Change  in  the  Habits  of  George  IV. — His  Death. — Improve- 
menU  in  London  during  his  'Regency  and  Reign. —  The  gf J^eawhoaU 
tnd^ailwayfi  introduced.  /^U  O^^ 


PAVIIilON  ON   LONDON   BRIDGE. 

1.  A  LOVE  of  seclusion  had  for  some  years  been  growing  upon  tli* 
king.  He  lived  chiefly  in  what  was  called  the  Cottage,  in  Windsor 
Park,  in  the  society  of  a  few  friends,  his  principal  amusement  being 
that  of  sailing  about,  or  fishing,  in  a  small  lake  called  Virginia 
Water,  or  in  driving  about  the  grounds  attached  to  the  castle  in  a  pony 
carriage.  All  solitary  habits  gain  strength  by  indulgence,  and  at 
last  he  could  not  bear  to  be  seen  even  by  casual  passers-by  on  the  road. 


CCXXIII.— 1.  What  change  in  George  IV.'s  habits?    3.  When  did  lie  die?    Wh-J 
37* 


438  DEATH    OF    GEORGE    IV. —  IS.iO. 

2.  Before  he  set  out  on  his  drives,  persons  were  despatched  on 
horseback  to  see  that  the  road  was  clear,  and  if  not,  he  would  turn 
another  way.  To  avoid,* however,  as  much  as  possible,  this  neces- 
sity, his  favorite  drives  were  carefully  planted  with  trees  ana 
shrubs,  so  as  to  be  screened  from  the  public  eye.  In  the  spring  of 
1830,  his  infirmities  made  retirement  from  public  life  less  a  matter 
of  choice  than  of  necessity.  The  very  slightest  exertion  became 
p3  'nful  to  him. 

8.  It  was  evident  to  his  physicians  that  he  had  not  long  to  live, 
and  this  opinion  was  communicated  to  him.  He  received  the  inti- 
mation with  firmness,  and  bore  his  sufferings  with  fortitude.  He 
could  not  bear  any  mention  of  business,  saying,  ''  I  have  done  with 
politics  now."  He  expired  on  the  26th  of  June,  1830,  in  the  68th 
year  of  his  age,  having  reigned  ten  years,  but  having  governed  the 
country  nearly  twenty  years. 

4.  George  IV.'s  love  of  display  and  magnificence  sometimes  led  to 
good  results.  It  was  one  immediate  cause  of  very  great  improve- 
ments which  took  place  in  London  under  his  government.  A  large 
tract  of  ground,  containing  about  450  acres,  had  been  leased  to  indi- 
viduals ever  since  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  and  used  for  pasture- 
fields,  with  sheds  for  cattle,  and  a  few  mean  buildings. 

5.  When  the  leases  expired,  George,  then  regent,  would  not  allow 
them  to  be  renewed,  but  caused  the  lands  to  be  laid  out  as  a  pleasure- 
ground,  with  drives  and  walks,  and  to  be  planted  with  trees;  and  on 
the  sides  of  it  were  erected  beautiful  houses.  It  is  called  the  Re- 
gent's Park.  He  also  caused  alterations  to  be  made  in  the  other 
royal  parks  in  London,  which  added  much  to  their  beauty ;  for  he 
possessed  an  excellent  taste  in  such  matters. 

6.  His  example  gave  an  impulse  to  the  spirit  of  improvement  in 
his  subjects,  and  narrow  streets  and  mean  houses  gave  place  to  wide 
avenues  and  elegant  edifices.  The  brilliancy  of  the  streets  was  very 
much  increased  by  the  introduction,  about  1815,  of  gas-lights,  in 
place  of  the  old  oil  lamps.  Other  great  improvements  took  place  in 
Great  Britain  under  the  rule  of  George  IV.  Steamboats  were 
introduced  into  general  use. 

7.  Experiments  had  been  made  at  various  times  to  devise  some 
method  for  applying  the  power  of  steam  to  the  movement  of  vessels. 
Robert  Fulton,  our  own  countryman,  was  the  first  who  succeeded 
on  a  large  scale,  about  the  year  1807.  The  first  steamboats  were 
used  in  Great  Britain  in  1812.  The  first  railway  for  purposes  of 
general  transportation  was  planned,  and  for  the  most  part  con- 
structed, in  the  reign  of  George  IV.,  though  not  opened  till  a  few 
months  after  his  death. 

8.  As  long  ago  as  1680,  the  coal  miners  .at  Newcastle  had  found 
it  useful  to  lay  down  two  parallel  rows  of  timber,  for  the  wheels  of 
carriages,  which  bore  the  coals  from  the  mines  to  the  places  where 
they  were  shipped  to  market,  to  run  upon.  From  hence  they  were 
introduced  into  other  mining  districts,  and  the  obvious  improvement 

was  his  age?     How  long  did  he  govern  Enghmd?  .  4.  Wliat  eliange  took  pl:ue  in  Lo» 
don?     6.  When  was  gas  introdt>ced  for  lighting  streets?     7.  When  was  the  first  steanv 


wii^jJAM  IV. — is.jo.  439 

of  substituting  iron  rails  for  the  wooden  timber  was  made.  They 
were  drawn  by  horses  till  1824,  when  steam  engines  were  intrc 
duced  to  move  the  carriages  on  the  railways  at  Newcastle. 

9.  But  the  first  railway  established  on  a  large  scale  was  one  be- 
tween Liverpool  and  Manchester;  the  latter,  the  great  centre  of  the 
cotto?"  cloth  manufacture,  and  the  former  the  port  at  which  the  raw 
cotton  is  received  from  the  United  States,  Brazil,and  other  countries 
where  it  grows,  and  from  whence  the  manufactured  cloth  is  shipped 
to  all  parts  of  the  world.  This  railway  was  opened,  September 
15th,  1830,  amid  a  great  concourse  of  visitors  and  spectators. 

10.  The  Duke  of  Wellington,  then  prime  minister,  and  a  large 
number  of  distinguished  noblemen  and  commoners,  were  present  on 
the  occasion,  and  went  by  the  first  train.  But  the  scene  was  ren- 
dered very  painful  by  the  fatal  accident  which  befell  Mr.  Huskisson, 
one  of  the  most  eminent  statesmen  of  the  country.  He  had  got  out 
of  the  carriage  at  the  place  where  it  stopped  to  take  in  a  supply  of 
water,  and  was  standing  and  holding  the  door.  Another  engine 
passing,  struck  the  open  door,  and  threw  Mr.  Huskisson  under  the 
wheel,  which  passed  over  his  leg,  and  injured  him  so  much  as  to 
cause  his  death  in  a  few  hours. 

11.  Hallways  now  traverse  the  country  in  various  parts;  and  one 
may  be  carried,  in  almost  any  direction  from  London,  as  far  in  one 
hour,  as  he  could  have  been,  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  in  a  whole 
day  by  the  coaches,  which,  on  account  of  their  superiority  in  speed 
over  all  that  had  been  known  previously,  were  called  "Flying 
t"-oac>^ ';'- . ' 


CHAPTER  CCXXIV. 

William  IV. —  The  Reform  Bill  passes  the  House  of  Commons,  but  is 
7 ejected  by  the  Lords. —  Great  Riots  in  consequence. —  The  Cholera 
appears  in  England. 


1.  William  Henry,  Duke  of  Clarence,  third  son  of  George  HI., 
was  nearly  sixty  years  old  when  he  succeeded  his  brother,  George 
IV.,  on  the  throne.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  remarkably  engaging 
child ;  and  he  retained  through  life  an  open  simplicity  of  disposition 
and  manners.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  sent  to  sea ;  and  though 
he  had  no  opportunity  of  distinguishing  himself  in  any  action  of 
importance,  he  gave  evidence  that  he  was  not  wanting  in  courage. 

2.  He  entered  tht-  navy  as  a  midshipman,  and  passed  through 
the  various  grades  of  the  service  up  to  that  of  Lord  High  Admiral, 
or  commander-in-chief,  under  the  king,  of  all  the  naval  forces  of 
Great  Britain.     This  office  had  npt  been  held  by  any  individual, 

boat  used  in  Great  Britain?    8.  What  of  the  use  of  railways  at  collieries?    9.  Between 
what  places  was  the  first  railway  on  a  large  scale  constructed?     When  was  it  opened? 
10.  What  fatal  accident  happened  ? 
CCXXIV.— 1.  What  was  William  IV.'s  Hfi  vlten  he  came  to  the  throne?     Relate  thf 


440  RIOTS   IN    ENGLAND. — 1831. 

with  the  exception  of  a  single  year,  since  1708,  when  it  was  Lclu  b;^ 
George,  Prince  of  Denmark,  husband  of  Queen  Anne.  In  1827,  the 
/ffice  was  revived  for  the  heir  to  the  throne ;  and  the  manner  in 
fvhich  he  discharged  its  duties  gained  for  him  the  affection  of  all 
ranks  in  the  service. 

3.  But  he  was  very  lavish  in  the  expenditure  of  money,  and  upon 
receiving  a  remonstrance  from  the  Duke  of  Wellington  in  respect 
CO  this,  he  resigned  the  office,  after  having  held  it  about  a  year. 
It  might  have  been  expected  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  con- 
duct on  this  occasion  \yould  have  caused  some  coldness  towards 
him  from  the  new  monarch ;  but  the  king  was  incapable  of  main- 
taining such  a  feeling. 

4.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  council  he  made  known  to  the  duke 
his  entire  approval  of  his  conduct  and  principles.  But  whatever 
might  be  the  king's  private  wishes,  he  could  not  retain  the  Duke  of 
Wellington  and  his  tory  friends  in  office.  By  granting  the  Catho- 
lic emancipation,  they  had  lost  the  support  of  a  large  party,  and  by 
refusing  to  grant  a  reform  in  the  commons,  they  had  failed  to  gain 
the  support  of  a  new  party. 

5.  In  the  new  parliament,  which  met  soon  after  the  accession  of 
the  king,  there  was  a  majority  in  the  house  of  commons  against  the 
ministers,  which  showed  that  the  people  did  not  approve  their  con- 
duct, and  they,  in  consequence,  resigned  their  offices.  The  whigs 
now  came  into  office,  with  Earl  Grey  at  their  head.  A  bill  for  a 
reform  in  the  representation  was  introduced,  but  met  with  so  much 
opposition  in  the  house  of  commons,  that  the  ministers  resolved  to 
dissolve  this  parliament,  though  it  had  only  been  in  existence  a  few 
months. 

6.  The  new  elections  were  carried  on  in  the  most  tumultuous 
manner,  both  parties  striving  to  the  utmost  to  secure  a  majority. 
It  resulted  in  giving  to  the  friends  of  reform  a  majority  of  one  hun- 
dred and  nine.  But  the  bill,  though  passed  by  the  house  of  com- 
mons, was  rejected  by  the  house  of  lords.  This  rejection  caused 
great  discontent  in  every  part  of  the  country.  In  London,  a  great 
.i.ob  collected,  and  made  assaults  upon  the  persons  and  houses  of 
various  tory  noblemen ;  amongst  the  rest,  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

7.  Nottingham  Castle,  once  a  royal  residence,  but  now  become  the 
property  of  a  tory,  was  destroyed.  The  riot  at  Bristol  exceeded 
everything  of  the  kind  that  had  been  heard  of  in  any  part  of  the  king- 
dom", since  the  great  riots  in  London  in  1780.  All  the  public  build- 
ings and  a  large  number  of  private  houses  were  destroyed,  and  many 
lives  were  lost  before  the  storm  could  be  quelled,  for  which  purpose 
it  was  necessary  to  make  use  of  a  large  body  of  troops. 

8.  The  people  formed  themselves  into  societies,  called  unions,  in 
which  a  large  portion  of  the  inhabitants  enrolled  themselves.  The 
object  of  these  unions  was  to  intimidate  the  legislature  to  pass  the 
Reform  Bill,  chiefly  by  holding  out  a  threat  of  refusing  to  pay  any 

previous  incidents  of  his  life.  4.  What  of  the  tory  ministry  ?  5.  What  happened  upon  th« 
meeting  of  the  new  parliament?  6.  What  of  the  Reform  Bill?  How  did  the  people  re- 
ceive  its  rejection?  7.  What  riots  are  mentioned?  8.  What  of  unions i  What  disea/» 
appeared?    9.  What  of  its  progress? 


PASSAGE   OF   THE   REFORM   BILL. — 1832. 


441 


taxes.    To  add  to  the  gloom  which  hung  over  the  country,  a  disease, 
■iince  known  as  the  cholera,  broke  out  at  Sunderland. 

9.  This  malady  seemed  to  be  the  same  as  one  of  that  name  which 
had  appeared  in  Bengal,  in  Asia,  about  the  year  1817,  and  had  aftei 
wards  desolated  a  large  portion  of  India.  Spreading  to  the  west,  it 
continued  its  ravages,  and  at  length  reached  Warsaw,  in  Poland,  in 
April,  1831,  and  the  city  of  Hamburg  in  the  October  following. 
The  first  cases  which  occurred  at  Sunderland  were  on  the  26th  of 
the  same  month.  From  thence  it  spread  over  Great  Britain,  and  it* 
did  not  cease  till  the  autumn  of  1832.  In  1848,  this  disease  again 
visited  Europe,  but  its  ravages  were  not  extensive.  . 


CHAPTER    CCXXV. 

Reform  in  the  House  of  Commoiw. —  Of  the  different  Political  Parties 
■Death  of  William  IV. —  Anr-po^inr,  nf  yj^^fQ-v^n — jj^r  Marriage.- 


Recent  important  Events. —  Characterjdi  the  English.  ^-^  /  / 


QUKEN   VICTORIA    GOING  TO  OPEJS'   PARLIAMENT. 

1.  The  Reform  Bill  was  passed  without  ditiiculty  through  the 
new  parliament,  for  the  lords  who  were  opposed  to  it,  fearing  any 
longer  to  resist  the  will  of  the  people,  left  their  seats  when  the 
question  came  up  for  discussion ;  and  it  finally  received  the  royal 
assent,  June  7th,  1832.  The  first  parliament  under  the  new  law 
was  elected  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year. 


OCXXV.— 1.  Wlien  did  the  Reform  Bill  receive  the  royal  assent?    2.  What  meaauM 


442  VEATII   CF    WI  J.LI  AM    IV. 1837. 

2.  The  reformed  parliament  proceeded  to  make  varioiis  improve* 
ments ;  the  principal  one  was  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  British 
West  India  Islands ;  the  owners  of  the  slaves  being  allowed  twenty 
millions  of  pounds  sterling,  nearly  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars, 
as  an  indemnification  for  the  loss  they  would  thus  sustain. 

3.  The  king,  to  whom  the  conduct  of  public  affairs  appears  to 
have  been  for  some  time  distasteful,  in  November,  1834,  dismissed 
the  whigs  from  office,  and  gave  the  reins  of  government  to  the 

*tories,  at  the  head  of  whom  were  the  Duke  of  Wellington  and  Sir 
Robert  Peel ;  the  latter  being  a  man  of  great  abilities,  and  of  enor- 
mous wealth,  which  he  inherited  from  his  father,  who  had  gained  it 
by  his  own  industry  as  a  manufacturer  of  cotton  cloth. 

4.  As  there  was  known  to  be  a  majority  against  the  new  adminis- 
tration in  the  parliament,  it  was  dissolved,  and  a  new  one  summoned. 
The  greatest  exertions  were  made  by  the  tories  or  Conservatives,  as 
they  were  now  called,  (because  they  were  opposed  to  alterations  in 
the  constitution,  and  for  preserving  it  as  it  was,)  in  the  elections; 
but  their  adversaries  were  too  strong  for  them,  and,  after  holding 
office  for  a  few  months,  they  resigned,  and  the  whigs  were  restored. 
Lord  Melbourne  being  the  prime  minister. 

5.  The  party  which  still  retained  the  title  of  whig  was  strength- 
ened during  the  whole  of  these  struggles  by  various  adherents  of  very 
different  classes  of  opinion.  Of  these,  some  were  the  advocates  of  a 
still  more  extensive  reform  in  the  house  of  commons,  and  of  great 
changes  in  the  constitution  of  the  church,  and  in  other  institutions. 
This  party  was  known  as  the  Radicals.  The  Liberals  were  those 
who  attached  less  weight  to  the  forms  of  government  than  to  its 
spirit  and  principles. 

6.  The  whigs  also  received  the  support  of  the  Irish  members,  at 
the  head  of  whom  stood  Daniel  O'Connell,  a  man  of  great  energy, 
and  impassioned  eloquence,  and  possessed  of  an  extraordinary  degree 
of  personal  influence  with  his  countrymen.  The  leading,  avo^Yed 
object  of  this  party  was  to  procure  a  repeal  of  the  act  of  union 
between  Ireland  and  England,  which  they  regarded  as  the  cause  of 
the  depressed  state  of  Ireland,  and  of  the  degraded  condition  of  the 
great  body  of  the  people  of  that  country,  it  being  now  governed 
by  a  parliament  in  which  English  influence  predominates. 

7.  By  the  aid  of  these  several  parties,  Lord  Melbourne  maintained 
his  place  during  the  remainder  of  this  reign,  which  was  terminated 
by  the  death  of  the  king,  June  20th,  1837.  As  William  IV.  left  no 
children,  he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  sovereign,  Alexandria 
Victoria,  daughter  of  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  Kent,  who  I'ad  died 
in  1820.  Queen  Victoria  was  married  on  the  10th  of  February,  1840, 
to  her  cousin.  Prince  Albert,  of  Saxe-Coburg, 

8.  In  May,  1843,  the  Melbourne  ministry  resigned,  in  consequence 
of  the  smallness  of  their  majority  in  the  house  of  commons  on  a  lead- 
ing measure ;  and  Sir  Robert  Peel  attempted  to  form  a  new  ministry. 
He  required  to  have  the  ladies  of  the  queen's  bed-chamber  removed, 

did  the  reformed  parliament  adopt?  3.  What  change  of  ministers  in  1834?  4.  Who 
are  the  Conservatives?  5.  What  of  the  Radicals?  Wliat  of  the  Liberals?  6.  What  of 
Hie  In"8h  members  of  parliament?     7.  When  did  William  IV.  die?     Who  succef>dn<T 


REJENT    EVENTS. 1841-1818.  448 

but  this  being  refused  by  her  majesty,  "as  contrary  to  usage,  and 
repugnant  to  her  feelings,"  the  whig  ministry,  at  her  request,  re- 
sumed their  places. 

9.  In  August,  1841,  the  whig  ministry  resigned,  and  a  tory  ministry 
soon  after  came  into  power,  Sir  Robert  Peel  being  at  its  head.  He 
'conducted  the  government  with  great  prudence  and  energy,  but  in 
1845,  he  gave  his  influence  in  favor  of  a  repeal  of  the  corn  laws, 
and  a  species  of  free-trade  tarifl".  A  change  of  ministry  followed, 
and  the  whigs,  under  Lord  John  Russell,  came  into  power,  which 
they  held  for  a  long  time. 

10.  Several  important  events  have  occurred  in  Great  Britain 
within  the  reign  of  the  present  queen.  A  war  has  been  carried  on 
against  China,  the  result  of  which  has  been  to  compel  that  great 
country  to  open  four  of  her  ports  to  the  commerce  of  Christendom. 

11.  in  Ireland  the  most  extraordinary  spectacles  have  been  ex- 
hibited. A  Catholic  priest,  known  as  Father  Mathew,  has  induced 
nearly  six  millions  of  persons,  of  all  ages  and  sexes,  to  sign  the 
pledge  of  temperance,  by  which  they  engage  never  to  partake  of 
intoxicating  drinks.  The  benefits  of  this  wonderful  movement  are 
beyond  calculation  to  thousands  long  held  in  degradation  by  the 
vice  of  drunkenness. 

12.  Other  movements,  no  less  wonderful,  have  also  been  exhibited 
in  Ireland.  O'Connell  roused  a  portion  of  the  nation  to  a  sense  of 
their  wrongs,  and  a  series  of  mass  meetings  were  held,  some  of 
which  numbered  hundreds  of  thousands  of  persons.  These  were 
called  upon  by  the  most  thrilling  eloquence,  as  well  from  O'Connell 
as  others,  to  demand  a  repeal  of  the  union,  as  the  only  means  of 
their  deliverance. 

13.  This  agitation  was  characterized  by  a  deep  enthusiasm,  re- 
strained, however,  within  the  bounds  of  general  good  order,  and 
observance  of  established  laws.  O'Connell  was  tried,  and  though 
the  "monster"  meetings  were  adjudged  illegal,  the  Agitator  him- 
self was  released  on  technical  grounds.  His  career  seemed,  however, 
to  be  at  an  end,  and,  in  1847,  he  died  while  on  his  way  to  Rome. 

14.  In  January,  1840,  a  new  law  went  into  successful  operation 
in  Great  Britain,  establishing  the  rates  of  postage  on  letters  of  com- 
mon weight  at  one  penny  for  any  distance.  This  system  has  proved 
completely  successful,  and  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest 
triumphs  of  government,  which  is  able  to  scatter  knowledge  at  so 
cheap  a  rate,  and  thus  to  knit  together,  by  easy  intercourse,  every 
portion  of  its  dominions. 

15.  During  the  year  1847,  famine  spread  over  a  part  of  Europe, 
and  fell  with  melancholy  fatality  upon  Ireland.  It  was  attended  by 
pestilence,  and  in  the  space  of  a  twelvemonth,  it  is  said,  half  a 
million  of  persons  perished,  by  disease  and  starvation,  in  that  un- 
happy island.  The  British  government  made  great  efforts  to  remedy 
these  evils,  and  liberal  donations,  in  money  and  provisions,  were 
sent  from  the  United  States. 

16.  But  all  aids  could  not  prevent  spectacles  of  calamity,  vice. 


him  ?    WhoK   did  Victoria  marry  ?    8.  What  of  the  ministry  ?    9,  What  of  the  mini» 


4M  CRIMEAN    WAR. 1S54. 

and  crime,  TN'bicb,  even  to  think  of,  make  the  heart  side.  Influenced 
by  these  circumstances,  and  incited  by  the  revolution  of  1848  in 
France,  which  drove  Louis  Philippe  from  the  throne,  and  estab- 
lished a  republic  there,  some  Irish  patriots  attempted  a  rebellion 
against  the  British  government.  Their  plans,  however,  were  crude, 
and  not  seconded  by  the  people,  and  they  became  the  victims  of 
these  sincere  but  misguided  efforts  in  behalf  of  their  country. 

17.  The  French  revolution,  just  mentioned,  occasioned  great  agi- 
tation in  England,  and  a  number  of  persons,  called  Chartists,  made 
a  movement  for  reform.  Their  efforts  were  abortive,  and  some  of 
the  leaders  were  punished  for  treasonable  practices. 


^Vk^ 


CHAPTER  CCXXVI. 

r. — English  Views  of  the  Oivil  War  in  America.-  - 
Marriage  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 

1.  In  1854,  the  English  government,  in.  connection  with  the 
French  and  Sardinians,  determined  to  take  the  part  of  the  Turks 
against  the  Rusteians,  and  to  resist  the  encroachments  of  the  latter 
upon  Turkish  territory  and  the  increase  of  their  navy  upon  the 
Black  Sea.  But  it  was  not  out  of  love  for  the  Turks  that  this  step 
was  taken. 

2.  The  English,  besides  being  unwilling  to  see  the  balance  of 
power,  as  it  then  existed,  disturbed,  were  afraid  that  if  Russia  pos- 
sessed a  powerful  navy  in  the  Black  Sea,  with  an  access,  through  the 
Bosphorus,  into  the  Mediterranean,  their  route  to  India  and  the 
East  might  at  any  time  be  cut  off,  and  their  rich  possessions  isolated 
from  the  mother  country.  France  and  Sardinia  were  actuated  by 
similar  considerations. 

3.  This  struggle,  known  as  the  Crimean  AVar,  lasted  two  years,  and 
closed  with  the  capture  of  the  Russian  stronghold,  Sebastopol,  which 
had  till  then  held  out  against  the  besiegers.  The  losses  of  the  Eng- 
lish in  killed  and  wounded  were  large,  but  larger  still  from  hardship, 
exposure,  and  insufficient  supplies. 

4.  The  treaty  of  peace  which  followed  the  war, — known  as  the 
Treaty  of  Paris, — required  the  Emperor  of  Russia  to  dismantle  the 
fortress  of  Sebastopol,  and  neutralized  the  Black  Sea,  that  is,  opened 
it  to  the  commerce  of  all  nations,  and  forbade  either  the  Turks  or 
the  Russians  to  maintain  a  navy  upon  its  waters.  These  conditions 
the  Russians  assented  to,  yielding,  as  was  afterwards  made  evident, 
upon  compulsion,  and  not  from  conviction  that  the  requirements  o'' 
the  treaty  were  just. 

try  of  1841?    10.  What  of  the  war  in  China?     11.  Father  Mathew?    12, 13.  O'Connelil 
14.  The  penny  postage  law ?     15.  Famine?     16.  Rebellion?    17.  The  Chartists? 

CCXXVI.— 1.  What  of  war^f'th  Russia?  2.  What  were  the  motives  cf  the  English  I 
Of  the  French  and  Sardinians'     ^.  What  is  the  struggle  called?     How  did  it  end?     4 


/ 


DEATH    OF    PRINCE   ALBERT. 1861.  445 

6.  For,  fifteen  years  afterwards,  when  the  principal  ally  of  Eng- 
land, France,  had  become  powerless  in  consequence  of  a  disastrous 
war  with  Prussia,  Russia  "  denounced"  the  treaty,  that  is,  declared 
some  of  its  provisions  intolerable,  and  gave  notice  that  she  would 
no  longer  abide  by  them.  This  step  caused  great  agitation  in  Eng* 
land,  and  it  was  for  some  time  feared  that  war  would  inevitably  be 
the  consequence. 

6.  The  Russian  government  finally  consented,  how^ever,  to  a  con- 
ference of  the  several  nations  that  were  parties  to  the  treaty  of 
Paris,  in  which  they  could  state  their  grievances  and  ask  that  the  ob- 
jectionable clauses  be  peaceably  withdrawn  or  suitably  modified. 
This  conference  assembled  in  London,  in  January,  1871,  and  decided 
to  accede  to  the  claims  of  Russia. 

7.  By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  glory  of  the  Crimean  war  had 
fallen  to  the  share  of  the  French,  and  a  very  natural  consequence 
was  a  feeling  of  alarm  in  England  that  Napoleon  III.,  Emperor  of 
the  French,  presuming  upon  the  inferred  superiority  of  his  soldiers, 
should  invade  the  shores  of  Great  Britain.  The  question  was 
seriously  asked  and  discussed  throughout  the  kingdom,  how  such  an 
attack  could  be  repelled,  if  indeed  it  could  be  repelled  at  all. 

8.  The  agitation  upon  this  subject  had  become  a  panic  in  the 
year  1860.  In  July  of  that  year  the  French  emperor  addressed  a 
letter  to  his  alhbassador  in  London,  disclaiming  any  hostility  to- 
wards England,  with  a  view  to  calming  the  prevailing  apprehension. 
All  fears  of  a  war  wdth  France  at  once  subsided. 

9.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  travel- 
ling as  the  Baron  Renfrew,  visited  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
In  December,  1861,  Prince  Albert  died  at  Windsor  Castle,  in  his 
forty-third  year,  to  the  great  grief,  not  only  of  the  royal  family, 
but  of  the  entire  British  people. 

10.  In  July,  1862,  the  freedom  of  the  city  of  London  was  pre- 
sented to  Mr.'  George  Peabody,  an  American  banker  doing  business 
there,  in  acknowledgment  of  a  gift  from  him  of  $750,000,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  poor  of  London.  This  sum  was  afterwards  increased 
to  nearly  two  million  dollars ;  and,  when  Mr.  Peabody  died,  in  1869, 
the  queen  directed  his  body  to  be  conveyed  to  America  in  an 
English  man-of-war. 

11.  The  war  against  secession  had  now  been  in  progress  in  the 
United  States  nearly  two  years,  and  the  consequences  to  the  cotton- 
spinners  of  England,  owing  to  the  stoppage  of  a  supply  of  the  raw 
material  from  America,  were  distressing  in  the  extreme.  At  the 
close  of  the  year  1862,  275,000  persons  had  applied  for  relief. 

12.  In  spite  of  their  sufferings,  however,  these  people  did  not 
desire  the  raising  of  the  blockade  of  the  cotton  ports,  being  con- 
vinced that  the  United  States  were  fighting  in  the  cause  of  free  labor, 
and  in  this  belief  they  remained  firm  to  the  end.    Large  sums  of  money 


What  of  the  treaty  of  Paris?  Its  conditions?  5.  What  happened  in  1870?  The  conse- 
quence in  England?  6.  What  of  a  conference?  7,8.  What  of  fears  in  England  of  a 
French  invasion?  9.  The  Prince  of  Wales?  Prince  Albert?  10.  What  of  the  city  of 
London  and  Mr.  Peabody  ?     11.  The  effect  in  England  of  the  war  against  secession  ?     12 

38 


446  ATLANTIC   CABLE   LAID. —1866. 

were  raised  for  them  both  in  England  and  America,  and  from  the 
latter  country  several  shijjloads  of  breadstufFs  were  sent  in  addition. 

13.  The  aristocratic  and  governing  classes  of  England,  however, 
favored — though  they  now  seek  to  gloss  it  over — the  cause  of  seces- 
sion. They  had  come  to  fear  the  United  States  as  a  rival  power, 
and  would  have  been  glad  to  see  the  country  broken  up.  Tliey 
therefore  gave  the  seceding  states  what  aid  and  comfort  they 
could,  but,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  had  serious  cause  to  regret  it. 

14.  In  March,  1863,  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  married  at  \Vindsor, 
to  the  Princess  Alexandra  of  Denmark.  The  royal  bride  had  been 
previously  received,  upon  her  landing  at  Gravesend,  with  every 
demonstration  of  delight.  The  event  was  celebrated  by  illumina- 
tions and  festivities  in  almost  every  town  and  village  in  the  kingdom. 
While  the  popularity  of  the  princess  has  remained  unimpaired 
to  this  hour,  that  of  the  prince,  from  his  own  misconduct,  has  been 
constantly  declining. 


CHAPTER  CCXXVII. 

The  Atlantic  CgJile.— Expedition  against  Abyssinia. — Disendowment 
of  the  Irish  Church. — The  Alabama  affair. —  The  Fisheries. — Con- 
clixsion.  # 

1.  In  July,  1866,  after  several  unsuccessful  attempts,  a  telegraph 
wire  was  laid  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  connecting  the  continents 
of  Europe  and  America.  The  ships  and  the  men  engaged  in  the 
enterprise,  as  well  as  the  money  embarked  in  it,  were  for  the  most 
part  English;  the  original  idea,  however,  was  American,  and  to  the 
spirit  and  perseverance  of  an  American,  Mr.  Cyrus  W.  Field,  the 
final  success  of  the  undertaking  may  be  largely  attributed. 

2.  A  number  of  English  travellers  having  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  Emperor  Theodore  of  Abyssinia,  in  Africa,  who  refused  to 
give  them  up,  the  government  sent  an  expedition  to  release  them. 
The  force  arrived  before  Magdala,  the  enemy's  capital,  in  April, 
1868.  In  less  than  a  week,  the  Abyssinians  had  been  beaten,  their 
city  burned,  and  their  emperor  killed.  The  prisoners  were  rescued, 
and,  with  the  troops,  at  once  embarked  for  home. 

3.  In  1869,  the  question  of  the  abolition  of  capital  punishment 
having  been  largely  discussed  by  the  people,  a  bill  proposing  to  do 
away  with  the  death-penalty  was  introduced  into  parliament.  It 
was  defeated  in  the  house  of  commons  by  a  large  majority. 

4.  In  the  same  year,  after  a  long  and  exciting  debate  in  parlia- 
ment, the  Irish  Church  was  disestablished.  The  meaning  of  this  is, 
that  the  Irish,  a  large  majority  of  whom  are  Roman  Catholics,  and 
who  had  hitherto  been  taxed  for  the  support  of  the  state  church 
of  England,  which  is  Protestant,  were  relieved  from  this  oppression. 

The  conduct  of  the  cotton-spinners?    Efforts  for  their  relief?    13.  The  governing  classe? 
of  England  in  reference  to  secession?     1-4.  Marriage  of  the  Prince  of  Wales? 

CCXXVII. — 1.  What  of  an  Atlantic  telegraph?  To  whom  may  its  sticcess  be  partly 
attributed'     2.  What  of  an  expedition  to  Abyssinia?    The  result  *     3.  Capital  punish 


ALABAMA.   CLAIMS.  447 

Thus  one  of  the  grievances  under  which  Ireland  had  long  suffered, 
and  of  which  it  had  never  ceased  to  complain,  was  removed. 

5.  But  justice  had  in  this  case  been  so  tardily  meted  out,  and  so 
many  other  causes  of  discontent  remained  to  rankle  in  the  Irish  breast, 
that  England  will  probably  never  be  permitted  to  hold  her  Irish 
possessions  in  peace.  Vast  bands  of  malcontents,  who  have  sworn 
to  injure  England  in  any  way  which  may  otFer  itself,  and  have 
taken  the  name  of  Fenians,  exist  both  in  Ireland  and  America. 
They  have  made  several  attempts  at  invasion  and  rebellion,  but 
without  success. 

6.  Besides  the  Irish  question,  England  has  another  matter  upon 
iier  hands,  which  has  already  given  her  great  trouble,  though,  as 
the  closing  chapter  of  this  book  is  written,  it  seems  in  a  fair  way 
of  being  amicably  settled.  This  is  the  affair  of  the  Alabama,  and 
arose,  as  you  doubtless  well  know,  out  of  the  war  in  America 
against  secession. 

7.  The  steamship  Alabama  was  built,  equipped,  and  supplied  in 
Liverpool,  and  from  that  port  was  allowed  to  sail  forth  and  burn  and 
destroy  unarmed  American  merchantmen.  She  was  never  in  a  Con- 
federate port,  and  so  never  acquired  a  legal  character  as  an  enemy's 
ship,  but  remained  essentially  a  pirate.  When  the  war  was  over,  the 
United  States  government  demanded  damages,  and  the  negotia- 
tions to  this  end  have  now  been  going  on  for  some  years. 

8.  It  was  held  by  many  in  the  United  States  that  the  English 
ought  not  only  to  pay  for  actual  -damage  done  by  the  piratical 
vessel,  but  for  "constructive"  damage,  that  is,  should  indemnify 
those  ship-owners  who  were  afraid  to  send  their  vessels  to  sea,  and 
whose  business,  therefore,  was  injured  or  ruined.  The  government, 
however,  did  not  take  this  ground,  claiming  only  reparation  for 
losses  fully  proved. 

9.  The  English  government  contended  that  they  could  only  be 
expected  to  make  good  these  losses  in  case  they  had  not  exercised 
due  diligence  to  learn  the  character  of  the  vessel  while  building, 
and  to  prevent  her  sailing  if  convinced  that  her  purpose  was  to 
prey  upon  the  commerce  of  a  friendly  power.  They  denied  that 
they  were  guilty  of  this  negligence,  asserting,  in  other  words,  that 
they  had  no  reason  to  view  her  with  any  suspicion  whatever. 

10.  The  answer  to  this,  on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  tvas,  that 
the  American  minister  in  Great  Britain  knew  the  vessel's  character, 
and  the  purpose  of  her  builders,  and  was  aware  of  the  day  of  her 
intended  sailing;  and  that  if  this  information  was  thus  obtainable 
by  him,  it  certainly  was  accessible  to  the  British  government. 

11.  But  the  Americans  were  even  willing  to  waive  this  point, 
and  to  say  that  the  English  were  not  guilty  of  negligence,  and  could 
not  fairly  be  held  accountable  for  the  escape  of  the  vessel.  They 
would  base  their  claims  solely  upon  this  fact,  that  after  her  escape, 

ment  in  England  ?  4.  What  does  dJsestablishment  of  the  Irish  Church  mean  ?  Whj'  was 
the  step  taken?  5.  What  of  the  feeling  in  Ireland  against  England?  What  are  the 
malcontents  called?  Their  purpose?  Their  acts?  6.  What  other  difficulty  remains  in 
England?  How  did  this  originate?  7.  Relate  the  story  of  the  Alabama.  8.  What 
gi-ound  was  taken  by  many  in  the  United  States?     What  by  the  government?    9    What 


448  CHARACTER    JF   THE   ENGLISH. 

and  after  she  had  commenced  her  depredations  and  proved  hei 
character,  the  Alabama  was  admitted  to  British  ports  all  over  the 
world,  allowed  to  refit  and  recoal,  and  to  sail  forth  again  upon  her 
errand  of  i  3struction. 

12.  To  this  charge  there  was  no  reply  possible,  and,  if,  as  at 
present  seems  probable,  the  British  government  decide  to  make  the 
reparation  asked  for,  it  will  doubtless  be  owing  more  to  the  fact  of 
the  resailing  of  the  Alabama  from  colonial  ports,  than  to  that  of 
her  original  escape  from  Liverpool. 

■  13.  Late  in  the  year  1870,  difiiculties  arose  between  American 
and  Canadian  fishermen  in  the  waters  off  the  Canadian  shores,  and 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  his  message  to  Congress, 
made  pointed  reference  to  the  occurrence.  It  is  hoped  that  the 
trouble  sure  to  arise  from  this  cause,  if  not  prevented,  will  be  set  at 
rest  at  the  same  time  that  the  Alabama  affair  is  discussed  and 
arranged. 

14.  We  may  now  close  our  long  story  by  giving  you  the  character 
of  the  English,  as  summed  up  by  an  intelligent  Frenchman :  "An 
atmosphere  of  fogs,  rain,  and  perpetual  variation ;  a  political  free- 
dom which  has  long  been  the  envy  of  the  most  enlightened  nations ; 
an  established  religion,  owing  all  its  power  to  its  disconnection  with 
foreign  influence;  a  perfect  freedom  of  conscience;  an  industry 
whicli  has  increased  tenfold  the  riches  of  the  soil. 

15.  "All  these  have  given  to  the  English  a  sombre,  abrupt,  and 
meditative  character ;  a  pride  which  leads  them  to  look  upon  them- 
selves as  the  first  nation  of  the  world ;  a  solitary  and  retired  mode 
of  life ;  a  set  of  manners  different  from  those  of  the  rest  of  Europe ; 
intelligence  superior  to  that  of  their  neighbors,  but  accompanied 
by  great  egotism  and  a  multitude  of  prejudices." 

TABLE  OF  THE  SOVEREIGNS  OF  THE  HANOVER  OR  BRUNSWICK  FAMILY. 

Peorge  L,  great-grandson  of  James  1. 
reorge  II.,  son  of  George  I. 
IQEge  III.,  grandson  of  George  II. 
reorge  IV.,  son  of  George  III. 
illiam  IV.,  son  of  George  III. 
[Victoria,  grand-daughter  of  George  III. 
1 

CHILDREN  OF  QUEEN   VICTORIA. 
/  Victoria  Adelaide,  born  1840,  married,  in  1858,  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia. 
^    Albert  Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  born  1841,  married,  in  1863,  Princess  Alex- 

andra  of  Denmark. 
^  Alice  Maud  Mary,  born  184.3,  married,  in  1862,  Prince  Louis  of  Hesse. 
7  .Alfred  Ernest  Albert,  Duke  of  Edinburgh,  born  1844. 
'j'-'Helena,  born  1846,  married,  in  1866.  Prince  Christian  of  Schleswig. 

, Louisa,  born  1848,  married,  in  1871,  Lord  Lome,  son  of  the  Duke  of  Argyle,  a 
subject. 
y  Arthur,  born  1850. 
'Leopold,  born  1853. 
; Beatrice,  born  1867. 

>y  the  English  government?  10.  The  American  reply  to  this?  11.  What  were  thfi 
Americans  willing  to  concede?  The  final  argument?  12.  The  probable  result?  18, 
What  of  fisheries  in  Canadian  waV^rs?     14, 15.  The  chara«ter  of  the  English? 


■■an  to  reign. 

Reigned 

1714     .     . 

13 

1727     .     . 

32 

1760     .     . 

60 

1820     .     . 

10 

1830     .     . 

7 

1837 

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